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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pop — to visit
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pop — music
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. pop — soda
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bank — for money
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spring — of water
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wake — a trail
  17. spring — the season
  18. mate — a partner
  19. last — final
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bank — for money
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bank — of a river

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