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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chip — for betting
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cold — not warm
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cold — an illness
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. chip — to eat
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. roll — a list
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. jam — a tight spot

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