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: firm · game · shower · cue · squash · race · branch · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. firm — a company
  5. squash — the sport
  6. race — a contest
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cue — a hint
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. game — a match
  11. squash — to crush
  12. shower — rain
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. race — humankind
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. firm — decided
  17. cue — for pool
  18. foot — a measure
  19. game — wild animals
  20. firm — steady
  21. branch — a division
  22. cue — a signal
  23. race — the arms race
  24. squash — the vegetable

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