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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. content — the amount
  3. race — a contest
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. content — happy
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. race — humankind
  12. chip — for betting
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pitch — completely
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bark — to shout
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. chip — to eat
  22. shower — rain
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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