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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bat — the animal
  3. chip — to eat
  4. key — for a lock
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. can — to be able to
  7. deal — to handle
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. key — in music
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. chip — for betting
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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