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 120 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: bark · charge · temple · hand · bear · cell · key · chip

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cell — a phone
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bear — the animal
  7. charge — a price
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bark — to shout
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cell — in biology
  18. key — in music
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. key — the most important part
  22. charge — in control
  23. hand — help
  24. cell — in a prison

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