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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. land — a country
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. toast — bread
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. branch — a division
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. file — a tool
  16. land — ground
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. date — the fruit
  20. land — to come down
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fork — in a road
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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