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: swing · race · bark · chip · rush · wave · net · cabinet

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. chip — to eat
  3. net — for catching
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. race — a contest
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rush — hurry
  9. net — after costs
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. net — in sport
  19. swing — in golf
  20. chip — for betting
  21. swing — music
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. race — humankind

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