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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. current — electric
  2. staff — a stick
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. kid — child
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bat — the animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. chip — to eat
  18. staff — employees
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. current — of water
  23. leaves — to go away
  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