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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. root — of a plant
  3. current — electric
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. root — the cause
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. current — happening now
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rule — government
  12. current — of water
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. kid — child
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rule — a law
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bass — low music
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. file — a document
  24. root — of a word

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