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 · rash · calf · mine · wake · court · mouse · chip

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. court — of law
  11. chest — a box
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. mine — for digging
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rash — a series
  24. chip — in a computer

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