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: tear · lie · kid · mark · bulb · chip

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. kid — to tease
  3. chip — for betting
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. chip — to eat
  6. mark — a grade
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. kid — child
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — an untruth

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