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 · land · pitch · rush · straw · rule · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. current — electric
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. file — a document
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. current — happening now
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. current — of water
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. rule — government
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pitch — completely
  21. land — ground
  22. chip — to eat
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rule — a law

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