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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. tear — from crying
  3. can — to be able to
  4. chip — for betting
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rash — hasty
  9. tear — to rip
  10. chest — a box
  11. can — a tin
  12. chip — to eat
  13. charge — a price
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. charge — in control
  16. root — of a word
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. root — the cause
  19. can — a tin
  20. rash — a series
  21. dip — to sink
  22. root — of a plant
  23. tear — from crying
  24. chest — of your body

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