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: wake · staff · key · bear · arm · net · race · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wake — a trail
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. key — the most important part
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. staff — employees
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. staff — employees
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. race — the arms race
  18. key — in music
  19. staff — a stick
  20. race — a contest
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. squash — the sport
  24. race — humankind

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