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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · coach · ruler · race · chair · chip

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. march — the month
  4. race — humankind
  5. march — the month
  6. chip — to eat
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. race — the arms race
  10. march — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chair — a leader
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. coach — a trainer

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