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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. ground — the earth
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. board — to get on
  8. file — a document
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ground — crushed
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. ground — a position
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. file — a tool
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. chip — for betting
  22. snap — to click
  23. board — a committee
  24. file — a line of people

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