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: kid · cabinet · board · bat · can · chip · object · current

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. current — electric
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. can — to be able to
  5. object — a thing
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chip — for betting
  9. board — to get on
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. board — a committee
  13. can — a tin
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. can — a tin
  16. bat — the animal
  17. object — to protest
  18. current — happening now
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. kid — to tease
  22. current — of water
  23. object — an aim
  24. cabinet — ministers

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