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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. field — farmland
  3. snap — to click
  4. field — a subject
  5. deal — to handle
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. staff — employees
  8. march — the month
  9. cue — a hint
  10. staff — a stick
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. march — the month
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. field — for sport
  17. race — humankind
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. march — music
  20. cue — for pool
  21. race — a contest
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. staff — employees

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