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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. tear — from crying
  4. land — to come down
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. land — ground
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. firm — decided
  13. tear — to rip
  14. firm — a company
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. firm — steady
  18. chip — for betting

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