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: bore · capital · shower · chip · jam · board · march · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bore — to drill
  3. board — a committee
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chip — to eat
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. shower — to wash
  8. chip — for betting
  9. march — music
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. capital — a city
  14. march — the month
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. race — a contest
  17. march — the month
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bore — to tire
  20. board — to get on
  21. shower — rain
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. capital — money
  24. jam — in traffic

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