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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. spring — a coil
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fine — high quality
  9. spring — the season
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chip — to eat
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. pound — a weight
  18. chip — for betting
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spring — of water
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. clip — for paper

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