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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. firm — decided
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. chair — a leader
  7. hand — in cards
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. rock — music
  10. firm — steady
  11. hand — help
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rock — a stone
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. tube — a container
  18. firm — a company
  19. degree — an amount
  20. race — humankind
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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