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: leaves · patient · chip · clip · rule · ball · lie · rash

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. clip — a video
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ball — a dance
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lie — to recline
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rash — hasty
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rash — a series
  12. clip — for paper
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rule — government
  15. clip — to cut
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rule — a law

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