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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. face — part of the head
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rule — government
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rule — a law
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. face — to confront
  17. pop — to visit
  18. hand — help
  19. mine — for digging
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. face — to point toward
  24. row — a line

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