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

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rash — a series
  7. net — for catching
  8. rash — hasty
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stand — to bear
  11. can — to be able to
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. net — after costs
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. can — a tin
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. net — in sport

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