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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rock — music
  4. pass — a permit
  5. last — final
  6. race — humankind
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rock — a stone
  9. band — a music group
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bound — tied together
  13. race — a contest
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bound — obliged
  17. band — a ring
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. last — finally
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. last — to go on
  24. chip — in a computer

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