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: pit · fine · race · march · kid · straw · stick · game

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fine — high quality
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. kid — child
  17. march — music
  18. race — a contest
  19. march — the month
  20. game — a match
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. march — the month
  24. fine — all right

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