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: fan · pitcher · chip · squash · stock · bowl · tube · ball

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. ball — a dance
  4. squash — the sport
  5. tube — a container
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stock — shares
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. squash — to crush
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stock — goods
  24. bowl — a dish

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