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: cap · bulb · stock · march · rash · clip · fall · chip

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. clip — a video
  6. march — music
  7. chip — for betting
  8. clip — to cut
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rash — a series
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fall — the season
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stock — goods
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. march — the month

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