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 120 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. chip — for betting
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ground — a position
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. content — the amount
  11. branch — a division
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bank — for money
  15. bore — to drill
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. capital — money
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. capital — a city

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