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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. capital — a city
  11. fine — high quality
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stock — goods
  14. chip — to eat
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. staff — employees
  17. capital — money
  18. stock — shares

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