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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. shower — rain
  3. chip — to eat
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. hand — help
  10. toast — bread
  11. mine — for digging
  12. chip — for betting
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. shower — to wash
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. saw — the tool

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