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: race · cell · stand · mug · roll · bass · fine · perch

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bass — low music
  8. mug — a face
  9. fine — all right
  10. roll — a cake
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mug — to rob
  13. race — humankind
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. race — a contest
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. roll — a list

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