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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stand — to bear
  4. last — to go on
  5. mine — for digging
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. last — finally
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. last — final
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. current — electric
  13. capital — a city
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. capital — money
  19. current — happening now
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. roll — a list
  22. rash — a series
  23. current — of water
  24. roll — a cake

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