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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rule — a law
  6. ground — the earth
  7. last — final
  8. ground — crushed
  9. capital — money
  10. cue — a hint
  11. last — to go on
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. capital — a city
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. firm — decided
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rule — government
  19. last — finally
  20. firm — a company
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ground — a position
  23. chip — for betting
  24. firm — steady

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