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: kick · chip · can · row · game · mark · ground · rash

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. game — a match
  5. rash — a series
  6. chip — to eat
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chip — for betting
  15. row — to paddle
  16. ground — the earth
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ground — a position
  19. can — to be able to
  20. ground — crushed
  21. kick — in football
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mark — a trace
  24. row — a line

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