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: field · chip · tear · mug · capital · lash · race · bear

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. tear — from crying
  3. capital — a city
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. bear — the animal
  7. field — for sport
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mug — to rob
  13. chip — for betting
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mug — a face
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. field — farmland
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. race — the arms race
  20. tear — from crying
  21. field — a subject
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mug — a cup
  24. capital — money

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