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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. snap — to click
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. clip — a video
  16. chip — to eat
  17. game — a match
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. game — wild animals
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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