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 116 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: squash · tear · race · chip · game · object · rush · present

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. tear — to rip
  3. chip — for betting
  4. squash — the sport
  5. present — a gift
  6. game — wild animals
  7. race — a contest
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. race — the arms race
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. present — there
  12. object — to protest
  13. present — the time now
  14. squash — to crush
  15. object — an aim
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. game — a match
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rush — hurry
  20. chip — to eat
  21. object — a thing
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. tear — from crying

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