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 124 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. hand — in cards
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ball — a great time
  6. capital — a city
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. capital — money
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rush — hurry
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hand — help
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. chip — for betting
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. clip — a video
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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