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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pop — music
  4. mate — a friend
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rule — a law
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mate — to breed
  11. chip — for betting
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pop — soda
  16. shower — to wash
  17. can — a tin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. shower — rain
  23. rule — government
  24. pitcher — a jug

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