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: rule · chip · foot · straw · craft · temple · current · cell

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. current — of water
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. current — electric
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. craft — boats
  8. chip — for betting
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. cell — a phone
  13. chip — to eat
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. current — happening now
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. rule — a law
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. craft — a skill
  24. straw — a straw man

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