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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mug — to rob
  6. ground — a position
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fall — the season
  13. chip — for betting
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mug — a face
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fall — to drop

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