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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. race — a contest
  4. wound — an injury
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lie — to recline
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ball — a great time
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. sharp — clever
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. race — the arms race
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. race — humankind
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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