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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. snap — to click
  4. face — to point toward
  5. chip — for betting
  6. face — part of the head
  7. chip — to eat
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. roll — a cake
  10. band — a ring
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. face — to confront
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. degree — temperature
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a list
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. band — a music group
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. coach — a trainer

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