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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. rock — music
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. current — happening now
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pop — soda
  11. rock — a stone
  12. chip — for betting
  13. march — music
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. current — of water
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. march — the month
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. march — the month
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pop — music
  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