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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. current — happening now
  4. kid — to tease
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. present — there
  9. shower — rain
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. present — a gift
  14. chip — to eat
  15. kid — child
  16. present — the time now
  17. shower — to wash
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. chip — for betting
  23. current — of water
  24. game — wild animals

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