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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. club — for dancing
  7. band — a music group
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. season — of the year
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. net — for catching
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. club — for golf
  15. net — in sport
  16. pit — a hole
  17. band — a ring
  18. season — in sport
  19. pit — in a race
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. club — a group
  23. net — after costs
  24. chip — for betting

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