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: bark · bear · chip · cue · chest · fan · file · chair

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cue — a hint
  10. chip — for betting
  11. file — a line of people
  12. chest — a box
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. file — a tool
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. cue — for pool
  23. file — a document
  24. chest — of your body

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