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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pitch — completely
  3. net — in sport
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chip — for betting
  8. net — for catching
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. current — electric
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. object — an aim
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. chip — to eat
  16. current — of water
  17. net — after costs
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. current — happening now
  23. land — a country
  24. object — to protest

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