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 120 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: straw · scale · bank · kid · lie · leaves · chip · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bank — of a river
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. chip — to eat
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. cell — a phone
  10. scale — size or range
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. kid — child
  13. bank — for money
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lie — to recline
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. chip — for betting
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. scale — in music
  20. bank — for money
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cell — in a prison

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