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: rush · chair · bear · cap · chip · dip · can · file

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cap — a lid
  3. dip — to sink
  4. can — a tin
  5. file — a document
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. file — a line of people
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bear — the animal
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cap — a hat
  21. can — to be able to
  22. file — a tool
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bear — to put up with

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