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: chair · bowl · chip · jam · pitch · cap · face · field

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. field — farmland
  5. cap — of ice
  6. chair — a leader
  7. cap — a lid
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. face — to confront
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. cap — a hat
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. pitch — completely
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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