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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. ground — a position
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pop — to visit
  8. race — humankind
  9. pop — music
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pop — soda
  16. ground — crushed
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bat — the animal
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. race — a contest
  22. perch — the fish
  23. foot — part of the body
  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