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 · club · racket · pit · squash · date · ground · game

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. club — a group
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. game — a match
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — to crush
  9. date — the fruit
  10. chip — to eat
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pit — a hole
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pit — in a race
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. squash — the sport
  24. game — a kind of play

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