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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. snap — to click
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wound — an injury
  6. race — humankind
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. last — finally
  9. race — a contest
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. vault — a safe
  14. last — final
  15. cap — a hat
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. suit — clothes
  20. last — to go on
  21. race — the arms race
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. cap — of ice
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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