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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lean — to bend
  3. swing — to play on
  4. staff — a stick
  5. band — a music group
  6. lean — thin
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bank — for money
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. staff — employees
  14. band — a ring
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bank — of a river
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bank — for money
  19. chip — to eat
  20. staff — employees
  21. swing — in golf
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. swing — music
  24. chip — for betting

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