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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. current — happening now
  3. band — a music group
  4. chip — to eat
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. chip — for betting
  9. current — of water
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. current — electric
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. row — a line
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. row — to paddle
  24. arm — a part of something

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