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: foot · chip · pitcher · branch · wound · season · club · wave

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wound — an injury
  7. foot — a measure
  8. season — in sport
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. club — for golf
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. branch — a division
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. club — a group
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. season — of the year
  24. wound — an injury

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