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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lean — thin
  8. bound — obliged
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lean — to bend
  11. band — a music group
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. degree — an amount
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bound — certain
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wind — moving air

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