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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. file — a tool
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wind — moving air
  6. race — the arms race
  7. suit — to fit
  8. file — a line of people
  9. suit — clothes
  10. race — humankind
  11. kid — to tease
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. file — a document
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wind — moving air
  16. kid — child
  17. suit — in cards
  18. court — for sport
  19. race — a contest
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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