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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chip — to eat
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. land — a country
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. chip — for betting
  16. land — to come down
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. ground — the earth
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. land — ground
  24. ground — crushed

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