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: hand · foot · snap · chip · court · stick · hide · ground

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hand — help
  7. ground — crushed
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ground — a position
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. hand — in cards
  17. court — for sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. court — of a king
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. snap — to click
  22. court — of law
  23. ground — the earth
  24. chip — for betting

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