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 · roll · plane · chip · root · pitch · pitcher · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. chip — for betting
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. root — the cause
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. root — of a plant
  11. roll — a list
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. roll — a cake
  15. wind — moving air
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wind — moving air
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pitch — completely
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. hand — help
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. root — of a word

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