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: sharp · dip · clip · object · chip · cell · rest · court

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. court — of a king
  6. sharp — clever
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. clip — for paper
  9. rest — what's left
  10. dip — to sink
  11. court — of law
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cell — in biology
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cell — a phone
  18. object — an aim
  19. chip — for betting
  20. object — a thing
  21. chip — to eat
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. court — for sport
  24. object — to protest

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