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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — a contest
  4. bear — the animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. present — a gift
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. hand — in cards
  10. present — the time now
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. court — for sport
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. race — humankind
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. court — of a king
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hand — help
  23. present — there
  24. court — of law

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