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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. capital — money
  3. chip — to eat
  4. capital — a city
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. charge — electricity
  10. scale — size or range
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. charge — a price
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. charge — in control
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chip — for betting

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