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: file · bowl · date · shower · safe · fork · court · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. date — the fruit
  3. court — of law
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — of a king
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. shower — to wash
  8. chip — to eat
  9. file — a document
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. file — a line of people
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. file — a tool
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. shower — rain
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. court — for sport
  21. fork — in a road
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bowl — a football final

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