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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. suit — in cards
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. firm — decided
  5. net — in sport
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. firm — steady
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bound — tied together
  14. suit — to fit
  15. net — for catching
  16. bound — certain
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bound — obliged
  19. net — after costs
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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