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: chip · court · mouse · rash · spring · squash · file · suit

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. file — a document
  4. rash — hasty
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. squash — the sport
  18. spring — of water
  19. file — a tool
  20. court — of law
  21. squash — to crush
  22. court — of a king
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mouse — for 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