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: chip · pass · wound · court · content · chest · lash · lie

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. chest — of your body
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. court — for sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. content — the amount
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. content — happy
  17. chip — to eat
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. court — of law
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. court — of a king

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