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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. race — a contest
  4. rest — a break
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bound — obliged
  10. race — humankind
  11. bound — certain
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. net — in sport
  14. cue — a signal
  15. race — the arms race
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. net — after costs
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bound — tied together
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. net — for catching

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