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: row · race · spring · can · stick · trunk · mug · leaves

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. row — to paddle
  5. can — a tin
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — a coil
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. can — a tin
  12. row — a line
  13. race — humankind
  14. mug — to rob
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spring — the season
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. race — a contest
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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