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: bound · mine · staff · kick · chip · season · bowl · stem

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. season — in sport
  12. staff — a stick
  13. kick — in football
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. staff — employees
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. staff — employees

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