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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mug — a face
  3. net — after costs
  4. chip — for betting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. court — of a king
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. net — in sport
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. court — for sport
  19. mug — to rob
  20. chest — of your body
  21. net — for catching
  22. court — of law
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mug — a cup

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