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: stem · season · mug · cue · press · race · wind · sharp

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. season — of the year
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stem — to come from
  8. race — humankind
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. press — to push
  18. wind — moving air
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mug — a face
  22. season — in sport
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cue — a signal

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