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 116 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 a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. track — a song
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. suit — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. track — to keep track
  12. hand — help
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — a path
  15. board — to get on
  16. chip — for betting
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — not warm
  20. wax — to grow
  21. chip — to eat
  22. board — a committee
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. suit — to fit

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