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 · current · date · pitcher · tube · dip · rule · field

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. current — of water
  5. rule — government
  6. chip — to eat
  7. current — electric
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. chip — for betting
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. current — happening now
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. tube — the underground
  17. field — farmland
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rule — a law
  23. dip — to sink
  24. tube — a container

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