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

Word bank: chip · wound · pass · staff · fine · current · fall · stick

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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. fall — to drop
  4. current — electric
  5. fine — all right
  6. staff — employees
  7. wound — an injury
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fall — to drop
  14. current — happening now
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fall — the season
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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