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 120 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: cold · file · chip · pass · snap · straw · can · wound

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. chip — for betting
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. file — a document
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. can — to be able to
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. cold — not warm
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pass — a permit
  16. cold — an illness
  17. file — a tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chip — to eat
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wound — an injury

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