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 · charge · tube · land · rush · sharp · mouse · dip

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. chip — to eat
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. charge — electricity
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. chip — for betting
  10. land — ground
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rush — hurry
  13. charge — in control
  14. tube — the underground
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. tube — a container
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. charge — a price
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. land — a country
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. dip — to sink
  24. sharp — clever

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