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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. club — for dancing
  3. land — ground
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. sharp — clever
  8. land — a country
  9. foot — a measure
  10. staff — employees
  11. club — for golf
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. chip — for betting
  14. club — a group
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. land — to come down
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bark — to shout
  24. chip — to eat

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