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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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 — for betting
  2. court — of a king
  3. land — to come down
  4. key — in music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pop — music
  8. land — a country
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. land — ground
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pop — soda
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pass — a permit
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mark — a grade
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  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