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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chip — for betting
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pit — in a race
  9. game — a match
  10. chip — to eat
  11. game — wild animals
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. scale — in music
  14. kid — to tease
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pit — a hole
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. kid — child
  23. arm — part of the body
  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