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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ground — a position
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. snap — to click
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. chip — to eat
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tube — a container
  23. chip — for betting
  24. saw — the tool

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