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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. chip — for betting
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. court — of a king
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. row — a line
  12. net — in sport
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bat — the animal
  16. court — for sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. chip — to eat
  20. row — to paddle
  21. net — for catching
  22. wound — an injury
  23. court — of law
  24. ball — a great time

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