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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. face — part of the head
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cap — a lid
  12. spring — the season
  13. date — the fruit
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pitch — completely
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. face — to point toward
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cap — a hat
  23. face — to confront
  24. date — on the calendar

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