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: can · pitcher · race · spell · wave · pound · racket · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — a contest
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. spell — letters
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. spell — a short time
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. race — the arms race
  19. can — a tin
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spell — magic
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pound — a weight

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