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 116 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. band — a music group
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rock — music
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a ring
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rock — a stone
  24. file — a line of people

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