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 · hand · net · racket · date · bear · wound · row

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bear — the animal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. net — after costs
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. date — the fruit
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. row — to paddle
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. row — a line
  15. net — for catching
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wound — an injury
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chip — to eat
  22. hand — help
  23. net — in sport
  24. racket — for tennis

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