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: chip · last · tube · sharp · wound · club · can · fan

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. can — to be able to
  3. last — to go on
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. last — finally
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chip — for betting
  9. club — for dancing
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chip — to eat
  14. can — a tin
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. can — a tin
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. club — for golf
  20. last — final
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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