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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. chip — to eat
  4. suit — in cards
  5. game — wild animals
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. game — a match
  8. bark — to shout
  9. suit — to fit
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. suit — clothes
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. root — of a word
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. foot — part of the body

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