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: ruler · kid · chip · cabinet · tear · ground · bat · jam

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. tear — to rip
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kid — child
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. kid — to tease
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. ground — crushed
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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