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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. chip — to eat
  3. current — happening now
  4. clip — a video
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wind — moving air
  7. current — of water
  8. can — a tin
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mug — a face
  16. can — a tin
  17. mug — to rob
  18. clip — for paper
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. current — electric
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wind — moving air

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