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 120 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: spring · rock · last · chip · game · fine · cell · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. fine — high quality
  4. last — final
  5. spring — of water
  6. last — to go on
  7. rock — a stone
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. game — wild animals
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. game — a match
  15. last — finally
  16. spring — the season
  17. rock — music
  18. plane — a tool
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cell — in biology
  22. fine — all right
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. chip — for betting

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