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 116 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. race — a contest
  4. stock — goods
  5. cue — a hint
  6. kick — in football
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. race — humankind
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. club — a group
  15. stock — shares
  16. club — for dancing
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. club — for golf
  20. fork — in a road
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cue — a signal
  23. spring — of water
  24. stock — a soup base

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