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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. spell — magic
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chip — to eat
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cell — a phone
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. spell — letters
  20. ball — a great time
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cell — in biology

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