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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wound — an injury
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stem — to come from
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wound — an injury
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. season — of the year
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. season — in sport

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