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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. current — electric
  4. spring — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. current — of water
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chip — to eat
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. spring — a coil
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. hand — in cards
  21. scale — in music
  22. chip — for betting
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. spring — the season

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