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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. march — the month
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. file — a line of people
  6. chip — for betting
  7. race — humankind
  8. chip — to eat
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. file — a tool
  11. race — the arms race
  12. net — in sport
  13. scale — size or range
  14. net — for catching
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. march — the month
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. file — a document
  19. net — after costs
  20. race — a contest
  21. march — music
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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