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: chip · pitcher · current · sharp · patient · lean · wound · racket

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chip — for betting
  7. current — of water
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. current — happening now
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. current — electric
  15. lean — thin
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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