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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. hand — help
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ground — the earth
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fine — high quality
  8. prune — to trim
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rest — a break
  13. ground — crushed
  14. chip — to eat
  15. track — a path
  16. fine — all right
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ground — a position
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rest — what's left
  22. firm — a company
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. chip — in a computer

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