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: stick · last · ground · cell · straw · chip · track · cabinet

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. track — to keep track
  6. last — finally
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chip — for betting
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. last — final
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cell — a phone
  19. track — a path
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. ground — crushed
  22. last — to go on
  23. ground — the earth
  24. track — a song

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