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: chip · current · bank · wound · game · chair · pit · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bank — for money
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. current — happening now
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pit — a hole
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wound — an injury
  12. game — wild animals
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. game — a match
  16. wound — an injury
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bank — for money
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pit — in a race
  24. chip — to eat

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