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: pitcher · face · chip · last · rash · present · wake · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rash — a series
  3. face — part of the head
  4. last — to go on
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wake — a trail
  8. last — finally
  9. face — to confront
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. present — the time now
  13. last — final
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. present — a gift
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. face — to point toward
  23. present — there
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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