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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. clip — for paper
  4. march — the month
  5. branch — a division
  6. chip — to eat
  7. march — music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. can — a tin
  10. net — in sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. clip — a video
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chip — for betting
  18. can — a tin
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. net — after costs
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. march — the month
  24. net — for catching

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