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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. present — a gift
  7. rock — music
  8. land — ground
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wind — moving air
  11. present — the time now
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. land — a country
  17. rest — a break
  18. wake — a trail
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. present — there
  24. rock — a stone

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