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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. race — a contest
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bank — of a river
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bound — certain
  9. spell — letters
  10. chip — for betting
  11. content — happy
  12. race — humankind
  13. rule — a law
  14. bound — obliged
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bank — for money
  18. content — the amount
  19. bank — for money
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. content — videos and posts

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