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 116 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 · cue · game · plane · rash · pit · press · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. race — humankind
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pop — music
  6. press — to push
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. game — a match
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rash — hasty
  15. press — newspapers
  16. race — a contest
  17. pit — in a race
  18. cue — a signal
  19. race — the arms race
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rash — a series
  24. plane — a tool

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