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: mine · squash · chip · file · trunk · present · rash · straw

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rash — a series
  3. present — the time now
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. present — a gift
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. present — there
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. chip — to eat
  13. squash — to crush
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. file — a document
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. file — a tool
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. file — a line of people
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. trunk — of a tree

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