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 116 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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wind — moving air
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rule — government
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. squash — to crush
  13. charge — a price
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. charge — electricity
  20. sharp — clever
  21. file — a tool
  22. rule — a law
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. charge — in control

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