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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. clip — for paper
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. clip — a video
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mark — a trace
  9. chip — to eat
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mark — a grade
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pop — music
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pop — soda
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. chip — for betting

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