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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mark — a grade
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. clip — for paper
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mark — a trace
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pit — in a race
  20. chair — a leader
  21. kick — in football
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. clip — a video
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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