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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. key — in music
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. swing — music
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. key — the most important part
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rule — a law
  10. chip — to eat
  11. spell — magic
  12. swing — to play on
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. key — for a lock
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. kid — to tease
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. swing — in golf
  20. snap — to click
  21. spell — letters
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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