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: drill · sharp · chip · mark · degree · lie · cell · lean

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chip — for betting
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. degree — from a university
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lean — thin
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. degree — an amount
  19. cell — a phone
  20. drill — the tool
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lie — to recline
  23. degree — temperature
  24. sharp — clever

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