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 · toast · chest · pit · season · deal · stock · spring

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. deal — to handle
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. chest — of your body
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. chest — of your body
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pit — a hole
  10. chip — to eat
  11. spring — the season
  12. season — in sport
  13. pit — in a race
  14. toast — bread
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. spring — of water
  17. season — of the year
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. stock — goods
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stock — shares
  23. chest — a box
  24. chip — for betting

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