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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. kick — in football
  5. present — a gift
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pitch — completely
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. degree — from a university
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chip — to eat
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. kick — with a leg

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