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: key · jam · land · pitch · tube · chip · ball · file

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. land — a country
  4. tube — a container
  5. key — the most important part
  6. file — a document
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. land — ground
  10. pitch — completely
  11. chip — for betting
  12. tube — the underground
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. chip — to eat
  15. file — a tool
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. land — to come down
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. ball — a great time
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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