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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pop — soda
  3. chip — for betting
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. current — of water
  6. present — there
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. game — wild animals
  9. current — electric
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. present — a gift
  12. chip — to eat
  13. present — the time now
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pop — music
  20. game — a match
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pop — to visit

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