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 116 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: patient · scale · pit · chip · cabinet · clip · deal · staff

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. staff — employees
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. clip — for paper
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. clip — a video
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. clip — to cut
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. staff — a stick
  12. scale — size or range
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. scale — in music
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pit — in a race
  20. chip — for betting
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. staff — employees

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