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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stock — goods
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. spring — of water
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. chip — in a computer

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