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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. game — wild animals
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pitch — completely
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. hand — in cards
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. band — a music group
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. game — a match
  18. hand — help
  19. band — a ring
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chip — to eat
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. band — a rubber band

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