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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. vault — a safe
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. toast — bread
  9. ground — a position
  10. scale — size or range
  11. ground — crushed
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. scale — in music
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ground — the earth
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. shower — rain
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. chip — to eat
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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