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 is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pitch — completely
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. land — ground
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. tube — the underground
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. board — a committee
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. board — to get on
  17. land — to come down
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. rush — hurry
  21. chip — to eat
  22. tube — a container
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. board — a flat piece

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