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: degree · ground · snap · stock · chip · lash · spring · arm

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. ground — the earth
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. spring — the season
  8. stock — shares
  9. degree — an amount
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stock — goods
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ground — a position
  19. degree — temperature
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. ground — crushed
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. chip — for betting

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