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: chip · chair · game · board · bore · snap · lean · bass

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. board — a committee
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chair — a leader
  15. game — wild animals
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. snap — to click
  20. lean — thin
  21. bass — low music
  22. game — a match
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bass — the fish

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