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: clip · chair · mine · staff · game · chip · pass · sharp

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. game — wild animals
  13. staff — a stick
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. game — a match
  16. staff — employees
  17. mine — for digging
  18. clip — for paper
  19. staff — employees
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pass — a permit
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pass — to succeed

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