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 120 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: key · chip · staff · hide · spring · charge · shower · arm

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. key — the most important part
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. key — for a lock
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. chip — for betting
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. staff — a stick
  9. spring — of water
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chip — to eat
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. staff — employees
  16. key — in music
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. spring — the season
  20. staff — employees
  21. charge — electricity
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. spring — a coil
  24. shower — rain

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