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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. land — ground
  4. present — the time now
  5. current — happening now
  6. chip — for betting
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. land — a country
  9. charge — electricity
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. snap — to click
  13. bat — the animal
  14. current — of water
  15. land — to come down
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. present — there
  20. charge — a price
  21. current — electric
  22. charge — in control
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. present — a gift

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