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 · kick · suit · spell · cold · cell · foot · fan

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. chip — to eat
  3. spell — letters
  4. suit — clothes
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. chip — for betting
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cell — a phone
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. spell — magic
  15. foot — a measure
  16. suit — to fit
  17. kick — in football
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cell — in biology

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