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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. degree — temperature
  3. kid — child
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. content — happy
  6. bear — the animal
  7. degree — from a university
  8. net — for catching
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. chip — for betting
  11. net — in sport
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. content — the amount
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. tube — the underground
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bear — the animal
  20. net — after costs
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. tube — a container

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