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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cell — in biology
  5. saw — the tool
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. press — to push
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. row — a line
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. row — to paddle
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cell — a phone
  24. chip — for betting

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