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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. clip — a video
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chip — for betting
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fall — the season
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fall — to drop
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rash — a series
  23. saw — the tool
  24. scale — in music

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