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

Word bank: deal · lie · clip · object · mine · chip · sharp · root

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. clip — for paper
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. clip — a video
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. object — a thing
  9. sharp — clever
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. root — of a word
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. object — an aim
  17. deal — to handle
  18. chip — for betting
  19. clip — to cut
  20. object — to protest
  21. root — of a plant
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. root — the cause
  24. deal — an agreement

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