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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. spell — magic
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. shower — to wash
  6. chip — to eat
  7. spell — letters
  8. shower — rain
  9. pit — a hole
  10. track — a song
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. track — a path
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cue — for pool
  23. present — a gift
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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