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: land · present · racket · last · perch · plane · chip · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. chip — for betting
  3. suit — in cards
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. last — finally
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chip — to eat
  9. last — to go on
  10. present — a gift
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. perch — the fish
  15. present — the time now
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. plane — a tool
  18. suit — clothes
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. land — to come down
  21. last — final
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. present — there
  24. racket — a loud noise

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