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 116 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cue — a signal
  3. band — a music group
  4. bass — low music
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — a division
  10. race — humankind
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bass — the fish
  18. band — a ring
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rush — to hurry

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