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: hide · chip · mate · clip · club · squash · pitcher · present

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. present — a gift
  4. mate — to breed
  5. club — a group
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. chip — to eat
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. clip — a video
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. squash — to crush
  15. club — for dancing
  16. chip — for betting
  17. present — the time now
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. present — there
  23. mate — a friend
  24. squash — the sport

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