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: pop · key · game · cue · rash · wave · chip · cell

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. key — for a lock
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pop — music
  5. rash — hasty
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rash — a series
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. game — a match
  21. pop — to visit
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pop — soda
  24. key — in music

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