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: arm · degree · hide · race · foot · row · last · pop

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. last — final
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pop — to visit
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. race — a contest
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pop — music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — finally
  17. row — a line
  18. race — humankind
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pop — soda
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. degree — an amount
  24. foot — a measure

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