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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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. object — to protest
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bass — low music
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. object — an aim
  9. present — there
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bass — the fish
  12. object — a thing
  13. chip — for betting
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cell — in biology
  16. season — in sport
  17. chip — to eat
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. season — of the year
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. cell — a phone
  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