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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. chip — for betting
  3. row — to paddle
  4. race — a contest
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lean — to bend
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. court — for sport
  16. rock — music
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. race — the arms race
  19. squash — the sport
  20. lean — thin
  21. rock — a stone
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. race — humankind
  24. chip — to eat

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