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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. tear — from crying
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. tear — to rip
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. tube — a container
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. chip — to eat
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chip — for betting
  19. tube — the underground
  20. hand — in cards
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. hand — help

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