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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bound — certain
  4. spring — of water
  5. current — of water
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. spring — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fall — the season
  15. current — electric
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. current — happening now
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wound — an injury
  24. plane — in geometry

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