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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. track — a path
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. capital — a city
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. race — a contest
  10. track — a song
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mate — to breed
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mate — a partner
  18. race — humankind
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. capital — money
  23. race — the arms race
  24. chip — to eat

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