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 120 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. clip — to cut
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cap — of ice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. chip — to eat
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. drill — a practice
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. cap — a lid
  16. drill — army training
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. chip — for betting
  19. court — for sport
  20. cue — a signal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cap — a hat

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