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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. spell — letters
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bound — certain
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bank — for money
  8. bound — obliged
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bank — of a river
  11. chip — to eat
  12. vault — a safe
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bound — tied together
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bank — for money
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. arm — a part of something

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