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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rash — hasty
  3. clip — a video
  4. fall — to drop
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. fall — the season
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rash — a series
  11. bank — for money
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. degree — temperature
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bank — of a river
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bank — for money

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