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: can · deal · chair · net · cap · mug · race · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. race — the arms race
  3. cap — a lid
  4. can — a tin
  5. cap — of ice
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. net — in sport
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mug — a face
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. net — for catching
  15. wound — an injury
  16. can — a tin
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. net — after costs
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. deal — to handle
  22. race — humankind
  23. cap — a hat
  24. race — a contest

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