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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bark — to shout
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. race — the arms race
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. squash — to crush
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. squash — the sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — not warm
  24. lash — to lash out

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