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 112 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 · kid · trunk · chip · cell · vault · face · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. race — humankind
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mine — for digging
  9. kid — child
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. race — the arms race
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cell — a phone
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — in biology
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. race — a contest
  20. vault — a safe
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. face — part of the head

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