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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. chip — to eat
  3. hand — help
  4. present — the time now
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chip — for betting
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. kid — to tease
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. present — there
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. present — a gift
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. kid — child
  23. hand — in cards
  24. scale — in music

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