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: last · race · hide · chest · root · club · mouse · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. last — final
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. root — the cause
  6. club — for dancing
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. last — to go on
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. race — the arms race
  12. root — of a plant
  13. chest — of your body
  14. club — for golf
  15. chip — for betting
  16. club — a group
  17. chest — a box
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. root — of a word
  21. race — humankind
  22. last — finally
  23. chest — of your body
  24. race — a contest

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