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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. lie — to recline
  4. toast — bread
  5. charge — a price
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. tube — a container
  8. charge — electricity
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fine — all right
  11. can — a tin
  12. charge — in control
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. fine — high quality
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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