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: fan · chest · snap · lean · date · last · chip · hide

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. last — to go on
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. last — final
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — thin
  11. chip — to eat
  12. date — the fruit
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. last — finally
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. chest — of your body
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chest — a box
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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