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: rest · race · hand · nail · stock · press · wave · spell

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. press — to push
  3. race — a contest
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. press — newspapers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. spell — a short time
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stock — shares
  14. spell — magic
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. hand — help
  19. rest — a break
  20. spell — letters
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hand — in cards

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