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

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cap — a lid
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. game — a match
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. chip — for betting
  16. tube — a container
  17. club — a group
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. club — for golf
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. club — for dancing

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