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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pop — music
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pop — soda
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. race — humankind
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pop — to visit
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. race — the arms race
  24. cap — of ice

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