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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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. mine — for digging
  4. court — of law
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. last — to go on
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. court — for sport
  9. last — final
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pit — a hole
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pit — in a race
  17. court — of a king
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. last — finally
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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