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: face · clip · bass · chip · degree · shower · mouse · hand

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. face — part of the head
  5. degree — temperature
  6. hand — in cards
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. hand — help
  10. shower — rain
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bass — low music
  15. degree — an amount
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bass — the fish
  19. shower — to wash
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. clip — a video
  23. face — to confront
  24. degree — from a university

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