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: wind · chip · pitch · calf · deal · cell

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cell — a phone
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cell — in a prison

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