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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. spring — the season
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. chip — to eat
  7. game — a match
  8. current — happening now
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. spring — a coil
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cell — a phone
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. game — wild animals
  15. spring — of water
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. chip — for betting
  20. current — of water
  21. cell — in biology
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rush — hurry

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