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: tube · fall · net · chip · ruler · hide · cell · ground

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. net — after costs
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. tube — the underground
  5. net — in sport
  6. ground — a position
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cell — a phone
  9. tube — a container
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cell — in biology
  14. chip — to eat
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ground — the earth
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fall — the season
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ground — crushed
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. net — for catching

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