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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. can — a tin
  3. current — of water
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. current — happening now
  6. game — wild animals
  7. chip — for betting
  8. row — a line
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bore — to drill
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. dip — to sink
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — a price
  16. bore — to tire
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. game — a match
  22. row — to paddle
  23. current — electric
  24. charge — in control

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