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: race · sharp · ball · bat · can · season · fork · chip

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. chip — for betting
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. ball — a great time
  5. can — a tin
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. race — the arms race
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. season — of the year
  12. race — humankind
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. can — a tin
  15. ball — a dance
  16. race — a contest
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bat — the animal
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. season — in sport

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