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: pitch · bear · tube · vault · degree · foot · chip · bay

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pitch — completely
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. degree — from a university
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. tube — the underground
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. vault — a safe
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. tube — a container
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. degree — temperature
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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