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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. squash — the sport
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. race — the arms race
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. race — a contest
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bound — certain
  12. squash — to crush
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. race — humankind
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bound — tied together
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bound — obliged
  24. patient — a sick person

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