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: bulb · chair · stock · chip · snap · foot · wound · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stock — goods
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. snap — to click
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bulb — for light
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stock — shares
  18. wound — an injury
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mouse — the animal

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