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: last · swing · fork · tear · chip · deal · rule · wind

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fork — in a road
  6. last — to go on
  7. chip — to eat
  8. last — finally
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. last — final
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. swing — to play on
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tear — to rip
  18. wind — moving air
  19. swing — music
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. swing — in golf
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. tear — from crying

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