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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. staff — employees
  2. current — electric
  3. chip — to eat
  4. race — humankind
  5. chip — for betting
  6. hand — in cards
  7. chest — a box
  8. current — of water
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. race — a contest
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rash — a series
  14. bore — to drill
  15. hand — help
  16. bore — to tire
  17. staff — a stick
  18. race — the arms race
  19. staff — employees
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rash — hasty
  23. chest — of your body
  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