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: root · chair · mark · chip · pitch · bark · hand · chest

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chest — a box
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mark — a grade
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bark — to shout
  10. chip — for betting
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. hand — help
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chest — of your body
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mark — a trace
  24. chip — in a computer

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