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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. chip — to eat
  7. kid — child
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cap — of ice
  13. spell — magic
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bulb — for light
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. spell — letters
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. patient — a sick person

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