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: cell · ball · chip · perch · mark · tube · chair · rash

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. chip — to eat
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tube — a container
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. tube — the underground
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cell — a phone
  17. chip — for betting
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. perch — the fish
  20. ball — a dance
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. cell — in biology
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chip — in a computer

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