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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. chip — for betting
  3. land — to come down
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pass — a permit
  9. object — an aim
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fine — all right
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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