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 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cap — a hat
  3. current — happening now
  4. cap — a lid
  5. last — to go on
  6. current — electric
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wound — an injury
  13. date — the fruit
  14. last — finally
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. last — final
  19. capital — a city
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. capital — money
  24. dip — to dunk

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