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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cap — a hat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. file — a document
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cap — a lid
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. file — a line of people
  11. chip — to eat
  12. hand — help
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mate — a friend
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cue — for pool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. file — a tool
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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