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: chip · wound · craft · cue · wake · present · degree · pop

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pop — music
  3. present — a gift
  4. cue — a signal
  5. present — the time now
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pop — soda
  10. degree — an amount
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pop — to visit
  14. craft — boats
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wound — an injury
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cue — for pool
  23. present — there
  24. wound — an injury

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