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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. last — finally
  4. spell — magic
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. spell — a short time
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. race — humankind
  12. spell — letters
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. race — a contest
  17. last — to go on
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. row — to paddle
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. race — the arms race
  24. last — final

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