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: board · leaves · bark · arm · chip · hand · sharp · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. chip — to eat
  4. hand — help
  5. chip — for betting
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. board — to get on
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. hand — in cards
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. board — a committee
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. board — a flat piece

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