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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pop — music
  6. pass — a permit
  7. race — humankind
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. rest — a break
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rest — what's left
  13. race — a contest
  14. pop — soda
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pop — to visit
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. court — of a king
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rest — what's left
  23. court — for sport
  24. jam — a tight spot

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