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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chip — to eat
  6. race — a contest
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pound — a weight
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. date — the fruit
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. race — humankind
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. chip — for betting
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fork — in a road
  23. prune — to trim
  24. plane — a tool

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