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 116 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 · row · racket · bat · straw · tube · charge · plane

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. chip — to eat
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. charge — a price
  5. tube — the underground
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. row — a line
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bat — the animal
  24. charge — in control

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