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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. face — to point toward
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mug — a face
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. capital — money
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. capital — a city
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. capital — a big letter

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