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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. chip — to eat
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. row — to paddle
  5. chip — for betting
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. present — there
  11. row — a line
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. clip — a video
  15. present — the time now
  16. plane — a tool
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stem — to come from
  23. present — a gift
  24. clip — for paper

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