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: spring · safe · pop · chip · file · bark · mate · saw

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mate — to breed
  4. file — a tool
  5. mate — a friend
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. spring — of water
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bark — to shout
  11. spring — the season
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pop — music
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pop — to visit
  18. file — a line of people
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. file — a document
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pop — soda
  24. mate — a partner

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