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: fork · pitcher · pop · cap · cold · vault · straw · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cap — of ice
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fork — in a road
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pop — soda
  20. cold — an illness
  21. chip — for betting
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. chip — to eat

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