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: leaves · degree · pitcher · club · rule · chip · content · date

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rule — a law
  6. chip — for betting
  7. club — a group
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. degree — an amount
  11. rule — government
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. degree — from a university
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. date — the fruit
  17. degree — temperature
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. content — the amount
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. club — for dancing

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