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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stem — to come from
  3. object — a thing
  4. cue — a signal
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. chip — to eat
  10. object — an aim
  11. mark — a grade
  12. object — to protest
  13. net — in sport
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. chip — for betting
  16. mark — a trace
  17. net — for catching
  18. cue — for pool
  19. net — after costs
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. degree — from a university
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. degree — an amount

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