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: clip · staff · chip · bass · rush · bear · key · pitcher

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rush — hurry
  5. staff — employees
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. chip — to eat
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. bass — the fish
  14. chip — for betting
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. key — in music
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. staff — employees
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bear — to put up with

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