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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. vault — a safe
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. firm — a company
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. firm — steady
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mine — for digging
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. root — the cause
  13. firm — decided
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. content — the amount
  17. season — in sport
  18. root — of a plant
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. content — happy
  22. season — of the year
  23. root — of a word
  24. mine — belonging to me

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