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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. field — farmland
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rash — a series
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. field — for sport
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. board — to get on
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bass — low music
  22. board — a committee
  23. field — a subject
  24. board — a flat piece

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