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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. charge — in control
  3. mark — a trace
  4. charge — electricity
  5. hand — help
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. charge — a price
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. chip — to eat
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. toast — bread
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stock — shares
  16. capital — money
  17. stock — goods
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. content — the amount
  20. capital — a city
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mark — a grade

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