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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. land — to come down
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. object — a thing
  5. chip — for betting
  6. land — a country
  7. chest — of your body
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. object — an aim
  10. can — a tin
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. object — to protest
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. chest — of your body
  17. land — ground
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chest — a box
  22. can — to be able to
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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