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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bass — the fish
  4. swing — to play on
  5. row — a line
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bank — for money
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bank — for money
  13. swing — music
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bank — of a river
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. chip — to eat
  20. row — to paddle
  21. lean — thin
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. swing — in golf

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