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: present · chip · clip · fine · bore · stock · arm · toast

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. clip — to cut
  5. present — a gift
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fine — all right
  11. stock — goods
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. stock — shares
  15. chip — to eat
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. toast — bread
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — a video

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