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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. chip — for betting
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. object — a thing
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. fall — the season
  15. pound — a weight
  16. object — to protest
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wound — an injury
  20. object — an aim
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. season — of the year
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pound — for dogs

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