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 120 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rest — what's left
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. net — in sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rest — a break
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. branch — a division
  14. net — for catching
  15. cell — a phone
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cell — in biology
  20. net — after costs
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chip — to eat
  24. deal — to handle

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