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: chest · row · mouse · spell · kick · chip · fall · stick

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fall — to drop
  9. spell — letters
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kick — in football
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spell — a short time
  19. chip — to eat
  20. spell — magic
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. fall — the season
  23. chest — a box
  24. row — a quarrel

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