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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. last — to go on
  5. chip — to eat
  6. mug — a face
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. saw — the tool
  11. last — finally
  12. hand — help
  13. pitch — completely
  14. chip — for betting
  15. band — a music group
  16. last — final
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. hand — in cards
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. roll — a cake
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. roll — a list
  24. pitch — a sports field

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