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: face · cabinet · pop · staff · track · cell · chip · field

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pop — soda
  3. face — to point toward
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. field — farmland
  8. staff — a stick
  9. face — to confront
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pop — music
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pop — to visit
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. face — part of the head
  24. chip — for betting

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