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: staff · roll · chip · mug · scale · mark · cold · cabinet

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mug — a cup
  6. roll — a list
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mug — a face
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cold — an illness
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. staff — employees
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. staff — employees
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mug — to rob
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cold — not warm
  24. chip — in a computer

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