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: chest · cue · rush · jam · chip · clip · spell · branch

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. chip — to eat
  5. spell — a short time
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. branch — a division
  8. rush — hurry
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. spell — letters
  11. cue — a hint
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chest — a box
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. spell — magic
  19. cue — for pool
  20. chest — of your body
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — a video
  24. branch — of a bank

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