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: dip · chip · rest · patient · field · charge · stock · chair

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. charge — electricity
  5. field — farmland
  6. stock — shares
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. charge — in control
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. field — a subject
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rest — a break
  20. stock — goods
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rest — what's left
  24. field — for sport

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