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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · wake · swing · press · bound · bowl

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bound — tied together
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. swing — to play on
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. press — to push
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bound — obliged
  16. swing — music
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bound — certain

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