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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hand — help
  4. fine — high quality
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. tube — a container
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. tube — the underground
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fine — all right
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lie — to recline
  17. file — a document
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. file — a tool
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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