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: content · snap · cap · current · drill · file · chip · mate

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. drill — the tool
  3. chip — for betting
  4. drill — army training
  5. chip — to eat
  6. file — a document
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cap — of ice
  11. current — electric
  12. file — a tool
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mate — a partner
  17. snap — to click
  18. content — happy
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. current — happening now
  21. mate — a friend
  22. current — of water
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. content — videos and posts

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