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 120 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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chest — of your body
  5. vault — a safe
  6. chest — a box
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. game — a match
  12. spell — a short time
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. tube — a container
  15. spell — letters
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. spell — magic
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. game — wild animals

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