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 120 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bound — certain
  8. bat — the animal
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pitch — completely
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. kick — in football
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bound — tied together
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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