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: toast · chip · wake · jam · kick · chest · bat · bass

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chest — of your body
  3. kick — in football
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. chest — a box
  6. toast — bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bass — low music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. chip — for betting
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bat — the animal
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bass — the fish

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