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 · field · prune · rock · rest · chip · tube · fine

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. race — a contest
  4. prune — to trim
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rock — a stone
  7. tube — a container
  8. race — the arms race
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rest — a break
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. field — farmland
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. field — for sport
  22. race — humankind
  23. chip — for betting
  24. field — a subject

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