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: race · staff · spell · mark · rock · cell · bear · deal

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cell — a phone
  7. mark — a grade
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. staff — a stick
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bear — the animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. staff — employees
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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