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: ruler · jam · chip · leaves · rash · wind · staff · sharp

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wind — moving air
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. staff — employees
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. staff — employees
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. chip — to eat
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wind — moving air
  23. sharp — clever
  24. jam — in traffic

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