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: court · bore · object · chip · lie · pass · tube · net

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. net — after costs
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. court — of a king
  6. net — for catching
  7. object — to protest
  8. court — of law
  9. chip — for betting
  10. net — in sport
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. chip — to eat
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. tube — a container
  16. object — a thing
  17. bore — to tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. court — for sport
  21. object — an aim
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bore — to drill
  24. lie — an untruth

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