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: saw · track · squash · firm · kid · stick · ground · race

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. track — to keep track
  5. firm — a company
  6. race — a contest
  7. track — a path
  8. race — humankind
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. kid — child
  12. firm — steady
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. saw — the tool
  15. squash — the sport
  16. track — a song
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. saw — the tool
  19. firm — decided
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. race — the arms race
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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