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 116 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cold — an illness
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chip — to eat
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. spell — magic
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. race — a contest
  11. rock — music
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. suit — in cards
  16. spell — letters
  17. chip — for betting
  18. suit — clothes
  19. cold — not warm
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. race — the arms race
  22. spell — a short time
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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