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: row · calf · snap · bulb · race · swing · cap · squash

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. race — humankind
  4. cap — a hat
  5. race — a contest
  6. squash — to crush
  7. row — to paddle
  8. swing — music
  9. cap — of ice
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. snap — to click
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cap — a lid
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bulb — for light
  19. swing — in golf
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bulb — for light
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bulb — of a plant

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