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: swing · calf · cap · race · straw · ball

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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. cap — a lid
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. cap — a hat
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. swing — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cap — of ice
  13. race — humankind
  14. ball — a great time
  15. swing — in golf
  16. race — a contest
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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