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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bore — to drill
  5. ground — the earth
  6. dip — to sink
  7. can — a tin
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bat — the animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. plane — a tool
  16. press — to push
  17. bore — to tire
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. chip — for betting
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. bore — gave birth

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