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: date · chip · wave · tube · lie · staff · press · roll

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. tube — the underground
  7. chip — for betting
  8. press — a publisher
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. press — to push
  11. roll — a cake
  12. press — newspapers
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. staff — employees
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. staff — a stick
  17. roll — a list
  18. lie — to recline
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. date — the fruit
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. date — on the calendar

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