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: fall · date · cold · ruler · chip · bowl · pitch · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. date — the fruit
  3. cold — an illness
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chip — for betting
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fall — the season
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pop — to visit
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pop — soda
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cold — not warm

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