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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. race — a contest
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rock — a stone
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. file — a document
  11. tube — a container
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. file — a line of people
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rock — music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. tube — the underground
  23. file — a tool
  24. staff — employees

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