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 120 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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. drill — a practice
  3. firm — a company
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. drill — the tool
  7. race — humankind
  8. hand — in cards
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. kid — to tease
  12. chip — to eat
  13. firm — decided
  14. kid — child
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cell — in biology
  17. hand — help
  18. drill — army training
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. chip — for betting
  21. firm — steady
  22. cell — a phone
  23. race — a contest
  24. foot — the bottom

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