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 120 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: season · current · nail · chip · cold · bat · dip · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. dip — to sink
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. current — of water
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — an illness
  13. current — happening now
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. current — electric
  24. cold — the Cold War

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