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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. last — final
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. chip — to eat
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. race — humankind
  10. stem — to come from
  11. last — to go on
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chip — for betting
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. sharp — clever
  17. race — a contest
  18. last — finally
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. race — the arms race

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