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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. squash — the sport
  3. land — to come down
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. land — ground
  9. current — happening now
  10. mine — for digging
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. squash — to crush
  15. land — a country
  16. current — electric
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. deal — to handle
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. current — of water
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. leaves — of a tree

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