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 120 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 · tear · cue · bay · shower · sharp · cap · suit

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. suit — in cards
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cue — a signal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. tear — from crying
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. suit — clothes
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cap — a lid
  17. shower — rain
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. cap — of ice
  21. tear — to rip
  22. cue — a hint
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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