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: object · firm · rule · present · chip · hide · hand · mine

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rule — a law
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. firm — a company
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rule — government
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mine — for digging
  14. present — a gift
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. firm — decided
  18. object — an aim
  19. firm — steady
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. present — the time now
  22. object — to protest
  23. hand — help
  24. object — a thing

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