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: pitch · jam · bear · wound · chip · bay · clip · rest

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rest — what's left
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rest — a break
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bear — the animal
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. clip — a video
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bear — the animal
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bear — to put up with

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