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: pit · chip · straw · staff · vault · degree · object · spell

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. staff — employees
  6. chip — for betting
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. spell — a short time
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. degree — an amount
  15. staff — a stick
  16. object — a thing
  17. pit — in a race
  18. spell — magic
  19. chip — to eat
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. staff — employees
  23. spell — letters
  24. degree — temperature

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