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 · patient · swing · mark · deal · lash · race · cue

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. swing — in golf
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cue — a signal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. deal — to handle
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mark — a trace
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. swing — music

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