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 116 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: bowl · cell · fine · press · chip · race · pitcher · net

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. net — for catching
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. press — newspapers
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. fine — high quality
  13. race — humankind
  14. net — in sport
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fine — all right
  17. net — after costs
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. press — to push
  24. race — the arms race

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