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: field · chip · stick · mouse · land · safe · chest · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. land — to come down
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. field — for sport
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — ground
  9. field — a subject
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chest — a box
  13. land — a country
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. chest — of your body
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chip — for betting
  20. race — the arms race
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. race — a contest
  23. field — farmland
  24. safe — out of danger

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