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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. clip — for paper
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cue — a hint
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pit — a hole
  13. clip — a video
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pit — in a race
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bat — for baseball

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