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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. firm — a company
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stand — to bear
  10. firm — steady
  11. kick — in football
  12. firm — decided
  13. file — a tool
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. file — a document
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. chip — for betting

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