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 116 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. last — final
  9. land — to come down
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. suit — to fit
  14. chip — for betting
  15. last — finally
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. suit — clothes
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. land — ground
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. land — a country
  24. last — to go on

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