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 · key · court

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

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. race — humankind
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bound — obliged
  8. race — a contest
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. swing — music
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. court — of law
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. key — in music

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