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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. chip — to eat
  5. sharp — clever
  6. land — a country
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bound — certain
  10. rash — a series
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bound — obliged
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rash — hasty
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pop — music

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