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 ________________ the meat?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. chip — to eat
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. race — humankind
  5. kick — in football
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. degree — an amount
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. degree — from a university
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mug — a cup
  21. chip — for betting
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mouse — the animal

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