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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rock — a stone
  3. object — an aim
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rock — music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. last — final
  10. object — to protest
  11. branch — a division
  12. last — to go on
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. object — a thing
  15. date — the fruit
  16. chip — for betting
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. hand — help
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. last — finally
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. hand — in cards

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