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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. board — to get on
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. swing — to play on
  6. chip — to eat
  7. swing — in golf
  8. key — in music
  9. spring — of water
  10. board — a committee
  11. staff — employees
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spring — a coil
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spring — the season
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. key — the most important part
  24. swing — music

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