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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mine — for digging
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chip — to eat
  12. clip — a video
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bear — the animal
  18. clip — for paper
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bound — tied together

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