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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fall — the season
  5. can — to be able to
  6. roll — a list
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. land — ground
  9. can — a tin
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. land — to come down
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. tube — the underground
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. land — a country
  19. fall — to drop
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fall — to drop
  22. can — a tin
  23. roll — a cake
  24. tube — a container

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