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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. squash — the sport
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. land — to come down
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. spring — a coil
  10. land — ground
  11. squash — to crush
  12. spring — the season
  13. fine — all right
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. spring — of water
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bank — for money
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chip — to eat

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