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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. current — happening now
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. row — a line
  6. bat — the animal
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. row — to paddle
  11. current — of water
  12. fine — high quality
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. sharp — clever
  19. current — electric
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bowl — to roll

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