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: staff · land · pop · bound · lie · cabinet · chair · chip

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. staff — employees
  6. bound — obliged
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pop — to visit
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pop — soda
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. land — a country
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bound — tied together
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bound — certain
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pop — music
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. lie — an untruth

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