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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — a contest
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. snap — to click
  6. tube — a container
  7. face — to confront
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. last — to go on
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. branch — a division
  12. chip — for betting
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. face — to point toward
  15. race — humankind
  16. tube — the underground
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. last — finally
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. last — final
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. tube — in a tire

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