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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. row — a line
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. present — a gift
  7. current — electric
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. current — of water
  11. tear — from crying
  12. present — the time now
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. row — to paddle
  15. tear — to rip
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. tear — from crying
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. present — there
  21. chip — to eat
  22. game — wild animals
  23. chip — for betting
  24. current — happening now

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