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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chest · cold · fork · wave · chip · bowl

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fork — in a road
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cold — an illness
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. chest — a box

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