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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · chip · stick · rash · club · press

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. press — to push
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. press — newspapers
  9. kid — child
  10. press — a publisher
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. club — for dancing
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. club — for golf
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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