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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. ground — the earth
  5. perch — the fish
  6. club — for dancing
  7. ground — crushed
  8. track — a path
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. club — a group
  11. ground — a position
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. snap — to click
  16. present — there
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cold — an illness
  19. club — for golf
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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