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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. clip — a video
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rock — music
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rock — a stone
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. spell — magic
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. spell — letters
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spell — a short time
  24. nail — on a finger

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