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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. rock — music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. current — of water
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. game — a match
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chip — for betting
  11. band — a music group
  12. current — happening now
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. band — a ring
  16. charge — in control
  17. current — electric
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rock — a stone
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. game — wild animals
  23. charge — a price
  24. chip — to eat

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