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: wake · chip · rock · temple · game · row · hand · snap

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. chip — for betting
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. snap — to click
  6. chip — to eat
  7. row — a line
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. game — a match
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rock — music
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rock — a stone
  16. hand — in cards
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wake — a trail
  23. row — to paddle
  24. game — wild animals

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