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: straw · pop · stand · spell · chip · rule · chair · face

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. spell — letters
  5. pop — music
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rule — government
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chip — for betting
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. face — to point toward
  14. chip — to eat
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. face — part of the head
  18. spell — magic
  19. rule — a law
  20. pop — soda
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. face — to confront

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