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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. charge — electricity
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. current — of water
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. dip — to sink
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. current — happening now
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. charge — in control
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. chip — for betting
  22. charge — a price
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. current — electric

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