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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. clip — to cut
  4. press — to push
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kid — to tease
  7. dip — to sink
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. press — a publisher
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. clip — a video
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. chip — to eat
  23. clip — for paper
  24. press — newspapers

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