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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. roll — a cake
  3. file — a tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stand — to bear
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. file — a document
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. file — a line of people
  15. chip — for betting
  16. saw — the tool
  17. roll — a list
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. saw — the tool

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