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: chip · lie · hand · court · band · content · foot · rush

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. hand — help
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. court — of a king
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rush — hurry
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. content — the amount
  14. court — for sport
  15. band — a music group
  16. content — happy
  17. band — a ring
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. court — of law
  22. hand — in cards
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chip — for betting

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