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: straw · chip · toast · pass · wound · dip · chest · ball

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. dip — to sink
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ball — a great time
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. chest — a box
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chip — for betting
  21. ball — a dance
  22. toast — bread
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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