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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. file — a tool
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rule — government
  5. net — after costs
  6. scale — in music
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. chip — to eat
  9. net — for catching
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rule — a law
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. content — happy
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. scale — size or range
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. net — in sport
  24. scale — for weighing

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