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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. suit — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. chip — for betting
  7. suit — to fit
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. suit — clothes
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rush — hurry
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. clip — to cut
  15. hand — help
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. club — for golf
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. clip — for paper
  20. club — a group
  21. clip — a video
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — rain
  24. chip — to eat

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