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: cabinet · chip · club · straw · mine · present · cap · stem

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. club — for dancing
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. present — there
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stem — to come from
  12. club — a group
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. club — for golf
  16. present — the time now
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cap — of ice
  19. chip — to eat
  20. present — a gift
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cap — a lid

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