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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. chip — for betting
  6. board — a committee
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. squash — to crush
  20. board — to get on
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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