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: race · stick · last · patient · bay · chip

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. last — final
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. race — a contest
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. race — humankind
  11. chip — to eat
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. last — to go on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chip — for betting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. last — finally

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