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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. ball — a great time
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. tube — the underground
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wax — to grow
  12. race — a contest
  13. squash — to crush
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chip — to eat
  16. squash — the sport
  17. race — humankind
  18. tube — a container
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. ball — a round shape

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