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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bear — the animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chip — to eat
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bat — the animal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fork — in a road
  21. dip — to sink
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. coach — a trainer

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