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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. chip — to eat
  2. mug — to rob
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. clip — a video
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. current — of water
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. current — electric
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mug — a face
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. capital — a city
  18. mug — a cup
  19. hand — help
  20. capital — money
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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