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: band · stick · pass · clip · can · chip · game · trunk

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. can — a tin
  8. chip — for betting
  9. game — a match
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. band — a ring
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. clip — for paper
  17. band — a music group
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. clip — a video
  20. game — wild animals
  21. can — a tin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. can — to be able to

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