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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. net — for catching
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. capital — a city
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. net — in sport
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rash — hasty
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. chip — for betting
  15. capital — money
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. branch — a division
  18. bore — to tire
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. bore — to drill
  24. net — after costs

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