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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chip — to eat
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. lie — to recline
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. file — a tool
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wax — to grow
  17. hand — in cards
  18. file — a line of people
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. file — a document
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. hand — help

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