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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rash — hasty
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rock — music
  16. board — to get on
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rash — a series
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. board — a committee
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. snap — to click
  24. bore — to drill

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