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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. spring — the season
  4. bass — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bat — the animal
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. kick — in football
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bass — low music
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. spring — of water
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. staff — a stick
  20. branch — a division
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. staff — employees
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. staff — employees

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