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 · chip · rest · face · spring · tube · bowl · wave

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rest — a break
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. tube — a container
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. face — to confront
  13. spring — the season
  14. tube — the underground
  15. face — to point toward
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. spring — of water
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. face — part of the head
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wave — with your hand

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