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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. hand — help
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. capital — a city
  5. root — of a word
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. track — a song
  8. capital — money
  9. track — a path
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. dip — to sink
  12. root — the cause
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rush — hurry
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. hand — in cards
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. track — to keep track
  22. root — of a plant
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. dip — a sauce

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