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 120 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: cap · hide · chip · kid · game · tear · pass · mark

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. chip — to eat
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cap — a hat
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cap — of ice
  12. game — a match
  13. tear — to rip
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. chip — for betting
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pass — a permit
  20. cap — a lid
  21. game — wild animals
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. chip — in a computer

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