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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. content — the amount
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. current — happening now
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. content — happy
  13. current — electric
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wound — an injury
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. kid — to tease
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stem — to come from
  24. kid — child

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