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: content · object · mine · calf · tube · chair · race · rest

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. object — a thing
  4. content — happy
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. race — humankind
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. object — to protest
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. tube — a container
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. race — a contest
  21. object — an aim
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chair — a leader

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