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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. current — electric
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bound — certain
  8. bank — of a river
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bulb — for light
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cold — an illness
  16. current — happening now
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bank — for money
  19. current — of water
  20. bank — for money
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bound — tied together

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