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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. cue — a signal
  6. net — after costs
  7. degree — from a university
  8. cue — a hint
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bass — low music
  11. degree — temperature
  12. can — a tin
  13. chip — for betting
  14. degree — an amount
  15. chip — to eat
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bass — the fish
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cue — for pool
  20. net — in sport
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. net — for catching
  23. can — a tin
  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