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: suit · current · march · chip · clip · jam · straw · racket

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. march — the month
  4. current — electric
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. clip — a video
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chip — to eat
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. march — the month
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. suit — to fit
  16. clip — for paper
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. current — happening now
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chip — for betting
  22. clip — to cut
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. march — music

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