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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mark — a trace
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cap — a hat
  9. spell — magic
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. spell — a short time
  15. clip — a video
  16. cap — a lid
  17. game — a match
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cap — of ice
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. game — wild animals
  23. spell — letters
  24. clip — to cut

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