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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. chip — to eat
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. roll — a cake
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. content — the amount
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wound — an injury
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. roll — a list

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