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: bear · game · spell · chip · tube · degree · sharp · rule

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. rule — government
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rule — a law
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. spell — a short time
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. degree — from a university
  19. tube — the underground
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. chip — to eat
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. tube — a container

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