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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. chip — to eat
  3. capital — money
  4. current — of water
  5. chip — for betting
  6. capital — a city
  7. charge — in control
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. tube — the underground
  15. toast — bread
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. tube — a container
  18. current — electric
  19. charge — a price
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. charge — electricity
  22. current — happening now
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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