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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stock — shares
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. race — humankind
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — for betting
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. race — the arms race
  11. stock — goods
  12. saw — the tool
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. present — the time now
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. race — a contest
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. present — there

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