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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. lie — to recline
  3. club — for dancing
  4. game — a match
  5. chip — for betting
  6. toast — bread
  7. staff — a stick
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. last — finally
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. club — for golf
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. tube — the underground
  16. staff — employees
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. last — to go on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — a container
  22. staff — employees
  23. club — a group
  24. game — wild animals

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