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: present · fall · chip · foot · object · rash · rule · dip

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. object — a thing
  3. foot — a measure
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. present — the time now
  6. object — an aim
  7. present — a gift
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fall — the season
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rash — a series
  17. dip — to sink
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. fall — to drop
  20. present — there
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. object — to protest
  24. chip — to eat

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