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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. current — of water
  3. clip — for paper
  4. cue — a hint
  5. current — happening now
  6. clip — a video
  7. swing — to play on
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cue — for pool
  10. staff — employees
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chip — to eat
  13. staff — a stick
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. clip — to cut
  17. current — electric
  18. cap — a lid
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cue — a signal
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. chip — for betting
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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