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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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. kick — in football
  4. current — of water
  5. spell — letters
  6. board — a committee
  7. mug — a cup
  8. spell — magic
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mug — a face
  12. degree — temperature
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. degree — an amount
  15. band — a music group
  16. root — the cause
  17. degree — from a university
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. root — of a plant
  20. board — to get on
  21. root — of a word
  22. band — a ring
  23. mug — to rob
  24. spell — a short time

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