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: shower · chip · hide · squash · clip · staff · jam · fan

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. chip — for betting
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. clip — a video
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. clip — to cut
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. shower — rain
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. staff — employees
  17. squash — the sport
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. shower — to wash
  20. clip — for paper
  21. staff — employees
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. staff — a stick
  24. hide — to keep secret

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