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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. chip — for betting
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mark — a grade
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. capital — money
  11. deal — to handle
  12. capital — a city
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. kid — child
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. kick — in football
  22. mark — a trace
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. capital — a big letter

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