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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. content — happy
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rest — a break
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rest — what's left
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. content — the amount
  24. rock — a stone

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