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: chip · bear · suit · game · stick · field · stand · staff

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. field — for sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bear — the animal
  10. staff — a stick
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. game — a match
  14. stand — to bear
  15. suit — to fit
  16. field — a subject
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. field — farmland
  19. staff — employees
  20. bear — the animal
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. chip — for betting
  24. game — wild animals

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