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: lie · kick · content · chip · pass · mine · ground · file

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ground — the earth
  4. content — happy
  5. file — a line of people
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ground — crushed
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kick — in football
  11. mine — for digging
  12. file — a tool
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chip — to eat
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. file — a document
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. ground — a position
  24. pass — to succeed

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