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 116 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chair — a leader
  4. deal — to handle
  5. net — in sport
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rule — a law
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. face — to point toward
  14. net — for catching
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. face — to confront
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bass — low music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bass — the fish
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bass — the instrument

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