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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. spring — of water
  6. spell — magic
  7. current — happening now
  8. rule — a law
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. spring — the season
  18. current — of water
  19. field — farmland
  20. chip — for betting
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rule — government
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rule — to rule out

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