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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. capital — a city
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. file — a document
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. snap — to click
  14. hand — help
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pit — a hole
  18. capital — money
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pit — in a race
  24. chip — in a computer

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