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: degree · capital · present · chip · chair · dip · tube · pit

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chip — to eat
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pit — in a race
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pit — a hole
  9. degree — temperature
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chair — a leader
  13. capital — money
  14. degree — from a university
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. capital — a city
  20. present — a gift
  21. tube — the underground
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. dip — a sauce

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