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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. last — to go on
  4. chip — to eat
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. last — finally
  9. staff — employees
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wax — to grow
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. last — final
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. staff — employees
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cold — not warm
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. craft — boats
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. staff — a stick
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cold — an illness
  24. lie — to recline

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