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: ruler · kid · net · stand · staff · pass · chip · clip

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. net — for catching
  4. staff — employees
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. clip — for paper
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stand — to bear
  12. clip — a video
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. chip — for betting
  17. clip — to cut
  18. staff — employees
  19. pass — a permit
  20. staff — a stick
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ruler — for measuring

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