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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. chip — for betting
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. vault — a safe
  7. face — part of the head
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — a hole
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. face — to point toward
  14. chip — to eat
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. face — to confront
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pit — in a race

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