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 · rule · calf · cap · wound · root · chip · bass

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — to cut
  5. wound — an injury
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. root — the cause
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rule — government
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. root — of a word
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rule — a law
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bass — low music
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. cap — a hat
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bass — the fish

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