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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pop — to visit
  3. race — a contest
  4. pop — music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mate — a friend
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mate — a partner
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chest — a box
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pop — soda

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