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: fan · fine · rule · chip · cabinet · hide · bat · bay

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — the animal
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rule — government
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rule — a law
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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