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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. chip — to eat
  3. current — electric
  4. field — for sport
  5. firm — decided
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cap — a lid
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. field — a subject
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. charge — a price
  12. chip — for betting
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. cap — a hat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. cap — of ice
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. saw — the tool
  23. firm — a company
  24. field — farmland

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