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: mate · mine · shower · row · chip · content · snap · ruler

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. row — a line
  4. shower — rain
  5. chip — for betting
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mate — to breed
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mate — a friend
  15. snap — to click
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mate — a partner
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. shower — to wash

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