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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. net — after costs
  9. land — a country
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wound — an injury
  14. land — to come down
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wake — a trail
  20. kick — in football
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. land — ground
  24. kick — with a leg

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