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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. file — a tool
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ball — a great time
  4. file — a document
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. game — wild animals
  7. chip — for betting
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ball — a dance
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. race — a contest
  15. file — a line of people
  16. fine — high quality
  17. game — a match
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. chip — to eat
  20. key — in music
  21. race — humankind
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. ball — a round shape
  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