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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. shower — rain
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cue — for pool
  6. chip — for betting
  7. snap — to click
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. shower — to wash
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. deal — to handle
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cue — a hint
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. capital — a city
  22. cue — a signal
  23. capital — money
  24. chip — in a computer

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