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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ground — the earth
  4. chip — for betting
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. ground — a position
  7. race — a contest
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. game — a match
  10. race — the arms race
  11. game — wild animals
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. race — humankind
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ground — crushed
  18. tube — a container
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. coach — a trainer

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