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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. date — the fruit
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pitch — completely
  16. chip — to eat
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bay — a horse colour

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