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 · bank · cap · date · chip · patient · press · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cap — of ice
  3. press — to push
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. current — of water
  8. press — newspapers
  9. scale — size or range
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. press — a publisher
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bank — for money
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. scale — in music
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bank — of a river
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cap — a hat
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. bank — for money

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