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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. land — to come down
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. board — to get on
  5. land — ground
  6. board — a committee
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mug — a face
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. land — a country
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. chip — to eat
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mug — to rob

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