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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. chip — for betting
  3. race — humankind
  4. spell — letters
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chip — to eat
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. current — electric
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. spell — a short time
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. roll — a list
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rest — what's left
  18. current — happening now
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. spell — magic
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. current — of water
  23. roll — a cake
  24. race — the arms race

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