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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. clip — a video
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kid — to tease
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. clip — for paper
  7. fine — all right
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. tear — to rip
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fine — high quality
  19. clip — to cut
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chip — for betting
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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