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: chip · race · stand · bound · wake · plane · pound · capital

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. race — a contest
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. race — the arms race
  16. capital — money
  17. race — humankind
  18. capital — a city
  19. wake — a trail
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bound — obliged
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. stand — to bear

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