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: key · chip · chest · rock · craft · land · last · file

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. craft — boats
  3. key — in music
  4. land — ground
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. file — a document
  10. chest — a box
  11. land — to come down
  12. key — for a lock
  13. last — to go on
  14. chip — to eat
  15. craft — a skill
  16. file — a line of people
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. file — a tool
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chest — of your body
  23. key — the most important part
  24. land — a country

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