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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. spell — letters
  3. lean — thin
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. spell — magic
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. squash — to crush
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pop — to visit
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. squash — the sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chair — a leader
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pop — soda
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pop — music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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