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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. chip — for betting
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. current — happening now
  6. content — happy
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. club — a group
  9. mine — for digging
  10. current — of water
  11. chip — to eat
  12. club — for golf
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. hand — help
  17. current — electric
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. present — the time now
  21. hand — in cards
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. content — the amount

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