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: mug · lean · chip · foot · capital · cap · club · saw

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mug — to rob
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. lean — to bend
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a city
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mug — a face
  12. cap — a hat
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mug — a cup
  16. saw — the tool
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lean — thin
  19. club — for golf
  20. cap — a lid
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. chip — for betting

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