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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. key — the most important part
  3. spring — of water
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. key — in music
  8. cue — a hint
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. scale — size or range
  13. chair — a leader
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. scale — in music
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spring — a coil
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. cue — for pool
  21. spring — the season
  22. cue — a signal
  23. key — for a lock
  24. chip — for betting

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