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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. face — to confront
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chip — for betting
  5. face — to point toward
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. staff — a stick
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hand — in cards
  16. face — part of the head
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. tear — from crying
  19. staff — employees
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. chip — to eat
  22. staff — employees
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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