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 · tube · land · cue · current · rash · cold · track

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. land — to come down
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. current — electric
  10. land — ground
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. current — happening now
  19. cue — a hint
  20. track — a song
  21. land — a country
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — an illness
  24. rash — a series

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