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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. season — in sport
  3. clip — for paper
  4. chip — for betting
  5. season — of the year
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. chip — to eat
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. clip — to cut
  17. charge — a price
  18. clip — a video
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. charge — in control
  23. ball — a great time
  24. club — for golf

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