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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · cold · chip · staff · lash · court · mine · mouse

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. staff — a stick
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. court — of law
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. staff — employees
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cold — an illness
  16. court — of a king
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cold — not warm
  20. chip — to eat
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. court — for sport
  24. mine — an explosive

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