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: chip · present · swing · rock · mate · ground · fall · land

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. ground — the earth
  3. present — a gift
  4. mate — a partner
  5. swing — music
  6. ground — a position
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. swing — to play on
  12. chip — for betting
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rock — music
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. mate — to breed
  20. ground — crushed
  21. present — there
  22. land — a country
  23. fall — to drop
  24. present — the time now

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