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: hand · chip · saw · chest · branch · clip · fine · rock

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chip — to eat
  5. clip — a video
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. chest — a box
  8. rock — music
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. hand — in cards
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — for paper
  13. rock — a stone
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fine — high quality
  16. chest — of your body
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. hand — help
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. saw — the tool
  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