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: hand · patient · press · mate · chip · ruler · game · kid

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kid — child
  5. press — to push
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. game — wild animals
  8. kid — to tease
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hand — help
  11. game — a match
  12. press — newspapers
  13. chip — for betting
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mate — a partner
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mate — to breed
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. chip — to eat

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