ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. last — to go on
  7. spell — letters
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. spell — magic
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. bass — the fish
  17. shower — rain
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. race — a contest
  21. mate — to breed
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mate — a friend
  24. shower — a meteor shower

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com