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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mate — a partner
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mug — a face
  10. mate — a friend
  11. row — a line
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. shower — to wash
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. lean — to bend
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lean — thin
  23. mate — to breed
  24. shower — rain

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