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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cold — not warm
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. current — happening now
  7. rash — hasty
  8. net — in sport
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. chip — for betting
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. cold — an illness
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rash — a series

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