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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ground — a position
  4. rule — a law
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rule — government
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. chip — to eat
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. lean — thin
  16. sharp — clever
  17. object — to protest
  18. bat — the animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lean — to bend
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bat — for baseball

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