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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. land — to come down
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. file — a tool
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. kick — in football
  7. file — a document
  8. drill — the tool
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. land — a country
  14. drill — a practice
  15. land — ground
  16. file — a line of people
  17. suit — clothes
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rock — music
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. chest — a box
  23. drill — army training
  24. chest — of your body

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