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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. swing — to play on
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. swing — music
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. race — a contest
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mark — a grade
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. race — humankind
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mine — for digging
  24. sharp — with an edge

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