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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chip — to eat
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. hand — help
  23. field — a subject
  24. pound — to hit hard

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