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: current · rash · mouse · track · file · clip · chip · arm

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. clip — for paper
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chip — for betting
  6. track — a path
  7. file — a tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. clip — to cut
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rash — hasty
  17. track — a song
  18. current — of water
  19. rash — a series
  20. current — electric
  21. clip — a video
  22. current — happening now
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. file — a document

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