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 · tear · lie · can · march · stem · club · cabinet

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. march — the month
  5. tear — to rip
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. club — a group
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lie — to recline
  16. club — for dancing
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. club — for golf
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stem — to come from
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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