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: cold · chip · straw · kick · chest · snap · safe · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rule — government
  4. chest — of your body
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cold — not warm
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. chip — to eat
  13. snap — to click
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rule — a law
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cold — an illness
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. chest — a box
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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