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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · chip · club · bore · craft · lash · press · current

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. craft — a skill
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bore — to tire
  5. club — a group
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. current — electric
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fall — the season
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. craft — boats
  14. bore — to drill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. current — of water
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. club — for golf
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. current — happening now
  24. fall — to drop

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