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: rock · hand · pit · capital · chip · hide · lean · racket

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pit — in a race
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. capital — money
  11. pit — a hole
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. rock — a stone
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. capital — a city
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rock — music
  24. hand — help

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