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 · racket · cold · cabinet · last · mouse · prune

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. last — to go on
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. prune — to trim
  11. foot — a measure
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. last — final
  15. prune — to trim
  16. last — finally
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cold — an illness

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