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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. march — the month
  4. chip — for betting
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rest — what's left
  7. capital — a city
  8. craft — boats
  9. rest — what's left
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. march — music
  12. file — a document
  13. game — a match
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rest — a break
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. march — the month
  18. file — a tool
  19. capital — money
  20. chip — to eat
  21. craft — a skill
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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