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: clip · dip · rule · chip · current · mark · wind · present

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. chip — for betting
  3. present — there
  4. current — happening now
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mark — a trace
  7. present — the time now
  8. current — of water
  9. wind — moving air
  10. present — a gift
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mark — a grade
  14. dip — to sink
  15. current — electric
  16. clip — a video
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. 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