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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. race — a contest
  3. track — a song
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. suit — to fit
  7. tear — to rip
  8. suit — in cards
  9. race — humankind
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. track — a path
  23. suit — clothes
  24. track — to keep track

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