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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pit — in a race
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bound — certain
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pit — a hole
  9. march — the month
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bound — tied together
  12. hand — in cards
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bound — obliged
  15. march — music
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. march — the month
  22. chip — to eat
  23. shower — rain
  24. nail — for a hammer

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