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 116 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: content · staff · spring · race · bay · squash · last · patient

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. last — finally
  5. squash — the sport
  6. spring — the season
  7. staff — employees
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. staff — employees
  11. spring — a coil
  12. content — the amount
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. staff — a stick
  18. race — the arms race
  19. spring — of water
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. squash — to crush
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. content — happy

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