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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bat — the animal
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chest — a box
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chip — to eat
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. chip — for betting

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