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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. chip — to eat
  4. march — the month
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. march — the month
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. hand — in cards
  9. chip — for betting
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hand — help
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bear — the animal
  20. scale — in music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. march — music

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