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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. swing — to play on
  3. foot — a measure
  4. snap — to click
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. swing — in golf
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. lie — to recline
  12. swing — music
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mark — a grade
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. chair — a leader
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mark — a trace
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. foot — the bottom

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