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: stock · jam · deal · chest · fan · net · band · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. net — in sport
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. net — for catching
  11. stock — shares
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chest — a box
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. net — after costs
  17. band — a music group
  18. stock — goods
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. band — a ring
  22. chest — of your body
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. fan — to cool the air

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