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: lean · tear · cap · cabinet · chip · toast · rock · plane

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. lean — thin
  3. chip — for betting
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cap — a hat
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. plane — a tool
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. toast — bread
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rock — a stone
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cap — a lid
  24. tear — to rip

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