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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. clip — for paper
  6. charge — in control
  7. chip — for betting
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. charge — electricity
  10. field — for sport
  11. race — humankind
  12. clip — to cut
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. last — finally
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. race — a contest
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. field — farmland
  21. chip — to eat
  22. clip — a video
  23. field — a subject
  24. charge — a price

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