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 120 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wound — an injury
  6. shower — rain
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. tube — a container
  13. ground — a position
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. chip — to eat
  16. tube — the underground
  17. shower — to wash
  18. ground — crushed
  19. spring — a coil
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. spring — the season
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ruler — a monarch

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