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: pound · cabinet · chip · face · scale · game · chest · coach

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chest — of your body
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. game — wild animals
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chest — of your body
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. face — to point toward
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chest — a box
  22. game — a match
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. face — to confront

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