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 120 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: leaves · stand · pound · chip · bay · bat · land · ground

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. ground — a position
  11. land — to come down
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. land — a country
  15. land — ground
  16. ground — crushed
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. ground — the earth

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