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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. chip — for betting
  3. roll — a list
  4. club — a group
  5. spring — the season
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. club — for dancing
  8. foot — a measure
  9. chip — to eat
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. tear — from crying
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. tear — to rip
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. club — for golf
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. roll — a cake
  24. safe — out of danger

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