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: court · fall · dip · chip · cell · mine · scale · calf

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. scale — size or range
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. fall — to drop
  11. court — of law
  12. fall — to drop
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fall — the season
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mine — for digging
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. scale — in music
  24. dip — to dunk

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