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: cap · cue · fall · rock · net · cell · chip · board

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. cell — a phone
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. net — for catching
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rock — music
  7. cap — of ice
  8. net — after costs
  9. board — a committee
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cue — a signal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fall — the season
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cell — in biology
  20. chip — to eat
  21. board — to get on
  22. net — in sport
  23. chip — in a computer
  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