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: stick · bat · rest · season · race · lean · tube · rock

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — a stone
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. race — a contest
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bat — the animal
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rock — music
  11. tube — a container
  12. race — the arms race
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rest — what's left
  20. season — in sport
  21. race — humankind
  22. rest — a break
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. season — of the year

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