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: bass · lean · cue · march · cabinet · stem · court · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bass — low music
  4. chip — for betting
  5. march — the month
  6. court — of law
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lean — thin
  9. court — of a king
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cue — a signal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. march — music
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. march — the month
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. court — for sport
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bass — the fish

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