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: spell · stick · track · row · race · patient · rest · rash

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rest — what's left
  5. row — a line
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. spell — letters
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. row — to paddle
  13. track — a path
  14. rash — hasty
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. track — a song
  17. rash — a series
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. track — to keep track
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rest — a break

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