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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stand — to bear
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. march — the month
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. staff — employees
  11. march — music
  12. staff — a stick
  13. date — the fruit
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. chip — for betting
  16. roll — a cake
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. march — the month
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. roll — a list
  23. staff — employees
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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