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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cue — a signal
  5. charge — electricity
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bat — the animal
  11. chair — a leader
  12. last — final
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. pound — a weight
  18. charge — in control
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. current — happening now
  21. charge — a price
  22. cue — a hint
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cue — for pool

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