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: suit · roll · race · squash · game · season · arm · ball

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. roll — a cake
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. suit — to fit
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. suit — clothes
  8. ball — a great time
  9. suit — in cards
  10. ball — a dance
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. game — wild animals
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. race — a contest
  16. game — a match
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. squash — the sport
  19. roll — a list
  20. squash — to crush
  21. race — humankind
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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