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: nail · bound · cabinet · cold · chip · last · mug · clip

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. last — final
  6. clip — for paper
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. clip — to cut
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bound — certain
  12. last — finally
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. clip — a video
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mug — a cup
  23. last — to go on
  24. mug — a face

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