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 · fan · current · sharp · race · present · snap · land

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. present — a gift
  3. land — a country
  4. sharp — clever
  5. race — the arms race
  6. present — the time now
  7. current — electric
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. snap — to click
  12. chip — for betting
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. current — of water
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. land — to come down
  19. race — humankind
  20. current — happening now
  21. land — ground
  22. present — there
  23. race — a contest
  24. fan — a supporter

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