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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. last — finally
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. game — a match
  11. hand — help
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. last — final
  15. lean — to bend
  16. chip — to eat
  17. last — to go on
  18. suit — clothes
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lean — thin

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