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: game · stand · band · chip · net · rest · dip · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. net — after costs
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. net — for catching
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chip — to eat
  13. band — a music group
  14. rest — a break
  15. staff — employees
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. game — wild animals
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. net — in sport
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. game — a match
  22. band — a ring
  23. staff — a stick
  24. dip — to dunk

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