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 · chip · club · cold · racket · root · can · safe

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. club — for golf
  6. clip — for paper
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. clip — to cut
  9. chip — to eat
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. clip — a video
  13. can — a tin
  14. club — for dancing
  15. root — of a plant
  16. cold — an illness
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cold — not warm
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. club — a group
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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