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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. can — a tin
  13. squash — to crush
  14. capital — money
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. chip — to eat
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mine — for digging
  21. capital — a city
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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