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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. land — a country
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. land — ground
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. land — to come down
  14. pass — a permit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. chip — for betting

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