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: stem · net · pitcher · scale · rush · chip · kid · chest

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. scale — size or range
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. kid — to tease
  8. chest — a box
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. net — in sport
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. scale — in music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stem — to come from
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. chest — of your body
  24. scale — for weighing

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