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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. fall — to drop
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. fall — the season
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. field — for sport
  15. board — a committee
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. roll — a list
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pound — a weight
  24. roll — a cake

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