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: staff · rest · net · chip · scale · hand · safe · bank

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bank — of a river
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bank — for money
  6. net — in sport
  7. staff — employees
  8. net — for catching
  9. hand — help
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. staff — employees
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. scale — in music
  17. hand — in cards
  18. net — after costs
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bank — for money
  22. rest — what's left
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. chip — to eat

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