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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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 — for betting
  2. wake — a trail
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cell — in biology
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. object — a thing
  12. cell — a phone
  13. chip — to eat
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. current — of water
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. object — to protest
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. object — an aim
  22. saw — the tool
  23. current — electric
  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