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 124 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. race — humankind
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. race — a contest
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. staff — employees
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. staff — a stick
  11. race — the arms race
  12. staff — employees
  13. wind — moving air
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pit — a hole
  21. clip — a video
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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