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: snap · chip · coach · rock · cold · bowl · board · shower

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cold — an illness
  5. snap — to click
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. shower — rain
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. board — to get on
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rock — music
  24. cold — not warm

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