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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. hand — help
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rest — what's left
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stock — goods
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lean — to bend
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rest — a break
  20. race — humankind
  21. rest — what's left
  22. snap — to click
  23. lean — thin
  24. stock — shares

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