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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. clip — for paper
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. chip — to eat
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. charge — a price
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. board — a committee
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. shower — to wash
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. clip — a video
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. charge — in control
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. clip — to cut
  20. charge — electricity
  21. shower — rain
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. kick — in football
  24. board — to get on

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