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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. chip — for betting
  6. kick — in football
  7. cold — an illness
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wind — moving air
  12. content — the amount
  13. present — the time now
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bound — obliged
  18. content — happy
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bound — certain

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