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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. file — a line of people
  5. board — a committee
  6. current — of water
  7. clip — to cut
  8. current — electric
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. file — a tool
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. land — a country
  15. sharp — clever
  16. current — happening now
  17. land — to come down
  18. clip — a video
  19. file — a document
  20. snap — to click
  21. land — ground
  22. board — to get on
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mug — a face

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