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 120 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 · wave · capital · hand · can · coach · branch

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. can — a tin
  3. race — the arms race
  4. branch — a division
  5. race — a contest
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. chip — to eat
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. hand — help
  14. can — a tin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. capital — a city
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. chip — for betting
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. capital — money
  23. race — humankind
  24. hand — in cards

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