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: wax · jam · racket · fine · sharp · squash · race · pitcher

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. squash — to crush
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. sharp — clever
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. race — humankind
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. fine — high quality
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fine — all right
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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