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: kid · capital · season · game · chip · bay · rock · scale

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. kid — child
  5. capital — money
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. season — in sport
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. scale — in music
  10. chip — to eat
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. game — wild animals
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. chip — for betting
  15. season — of the year
  16. game — a match
  17. scale — size or range
  18. capital — a city
  19. rock — a stone
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rock — music
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. kid — to tease

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