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: mouse · cell · current · pit · chip · pitch · land · court

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. land — a country
  6. court — for sport
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. court — of law
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. land — to come down
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cell — a phone
  18. current — of water
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. land — ground
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. court — of a king
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pit — a hole

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