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

Word bank: wind · chip · rest · temple · kick · net

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wind — moving air
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wind — moving air
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. net — after costs
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rest — what's left
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rest — a break
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. net — for catching
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. net — in sport
  18. 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