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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. race — humankind
  3. file — a document
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. net — after costs
  8. capital — a city
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. scale — in music
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. net — in sport
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. race — a contest
  19. scale — size or range
  20. vault — a safe
  21. file — a tool
  22. net — for catching
  23. file — a line of people
  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