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: scale · clip · kick · vault · patient · ground · chip · land

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ground — the earth
  4. vault — a safe
  5. kick — in football
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chip — for betting
  8. land — a country
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — for paper
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ground — a position
  16. chip — to eat
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. land — to come down
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. land — ground
  22. scale — in music
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ground — crushed

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