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 · land · pitcher · nail · pass · mate · court · hide

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pass — a permit
  10. court — for sport
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. court — of a king
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mate — a friend
  15. land — to come down
  16. chip — to eat
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. court — of law
  20. mate — to breed
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mate — a partner
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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