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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. race — humankind
  4. suit — in cards
  5. spring — the season
  6. suit — to fit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. kick — in football
  9. spring — of water
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. stand — to bear
  18. chest — a box
  19. spring — a coil
  20. suit — clothes
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. wave — of the sea

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