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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. hand — in cards
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mate — to breed
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. file — a line of people
  7. chip — for betting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mate — a friend
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. file — a tool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mug — a face
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. file — a document
  17. mug — a cup
  18. saw — the tool

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