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 120 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: suit · squash · wave · pound · chip · fan · cell · court

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cell — a phone
  4. court — for sport
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. court — of a king
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. chip — to eat
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. squash — the sport
  21. suit — in cards
  22. court — of law
  23. suit — to fit
  24. squash — to crush

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