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 120 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: chair · chip · land · chest · cabinet · nail · craft · fan

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chest — of your body
  8. land — to come down
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chair — a leader
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chest — a box
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. land — a country
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chair — to sit on

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