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: field · chip · tube · bank · current · kick · pound · degree

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. current — happening now
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. current — electric
  4. field — farmland
  5. degree — an amount
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. field — a subject
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. tube — a container
  10. chip — to eat
  11. current — of water
  12. pound — a weight
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bank — for money
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bank — for money
  18. kick — in football
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bank — of a river
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. tube — the underground
  23. chip — in a computer
  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