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: squash · chip · field · craft · plane · lie · tube · cap

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. squash — to crush
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cap — a hat
  9. craft — boats
  10. field — farmland
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lie — to recline
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tube — a container
  23. cap — a lid
  24. plane — a tool

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