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: game · deal · capital · wake · degree · vault · current · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wake — a trail
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. deal — to handle
  6. current — electric
  7. game — a match
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. game — wild animals
  16. vault — a safe
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — money
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — from a university
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. degree — temperature

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