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: fork · court · current · staff · wax · chip · land · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. land — ground
  3. chip — for betting
  4. land — to come down
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wax — to grow
  7. current — electric
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. staff — employees
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. court — of law
  12. current — of water
  13. court — for sport
  14. chip — to eat
  15. staff — employees
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fork — in a road
  18. land — a country
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. current — happening now
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. court — of a king
  24. chip — in a computer

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