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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. spring — the season
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mate — to breed
  5. squash — the sport
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. court — of law
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mate — a friend
  10. court — for sport
  11. spring — of water
  12. court — of a king
  13. bank — for money
  14. spring — a coil
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bank — of a river
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bank — for money
  19. mate — a partner
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. scale — size or range
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. scale — in music
  24. squash — to crush

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