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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. chip — to eat
  2. tear — from crying
  3. firm — steady
  4. tear — to rip
  5. net — in sport
  6. pit — in a race
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. firm — a company
  11. net — after costs
  12. race — a contest
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. race — humankind
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. net — for catching
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. hand — help
  20. pit — a hole
  21. firm — decided
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  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