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: hand · current · pitcher · bear · rash · row · chip · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. row — to paddle
  4. hand — in cards
  5. chip — for betting
  6. row — a line
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. hand — help
  13. bear — the animal
  14. current — of water
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rash — a series
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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