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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. charge — electricity
  3. plane — a tool
  4. court — for sport
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. charge — in control
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stock — goods
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stock — shares
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. chip — for betting
  18. court — of a king
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. charge — a price
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. court — of law
  24. lie — to recline

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