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: cue · foot · cell · shower · key · wound · race · rash

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cue — a hint
  12. foot — a measure
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wound — an injury
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rash — a series
  20. key — in music
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. wound — an injury
  23. shower — rain
  24. foot — part of the body

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