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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bank — for money
  3. net — in sport
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. net — for catching
  6. court — for sport
  7. chip — for betting
  8. degree — temperature
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bank — for money
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. court — of law
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rule — government
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rule — a law
  18. court — of a king
  19. degree — an amount
  20. cue — a hint
  21. net — after costs
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rule — to rule out

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