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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. fall — the season
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pop — music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. current — of water
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bark — to shout

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