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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stand — to bear
  3. club — for dancing
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. current — happening now
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. current — electric
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. current — of water
  10. can — a tin
  11. chip — for betting
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kick — in football
  18. chip — to eat
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. can — a tin
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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