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 120 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chip — for betting
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. swing — music
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. chip — to eat
  11. race — a contest
  12. pop — to visit
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. race — humankind
  15. pop — soda
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pop — music
  24. mine — for digging

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