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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. roll — a cake
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. roll — a list
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cold — an illness
  15. hand — in cards
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cold — not warm
  22. hand — help
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. leaves — of a tree

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