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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. race — the arms race
  4. row — a line
  5. cell — in biology
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. field — for sport
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. race — humankind
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cell — a phone
  12. suit — clothes
  13. field — farmland
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. field — a subject
  17. chip — to eat
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. race — a contest
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. row — to paddle
  22. kick — in football
  23. chip — for betting
  24. suit — in cards

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