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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wound — an injury
  4. degree — from a university
  5. tear — to rip
  6. field — for sport
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. degree — temperature
  11. field — farmland
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chip — to eat
  14. race — a contest
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mug — to rob
  17. degree — an amount
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mug — a cup
  20. suit — clothes
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. suit — to fit
  23. field — a subject
  24. mug — a face

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