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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. game — a match
  5. drill — army training
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wake — a trail
  8. game — wild animals
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mug — a face
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. current — happening now
  14. scale — in music
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mug — a cup
  17. row — a line
  18. drill — a practice
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mug — to rob
  22. row — to paddle
  23. scale — size or range
  24. current — of water

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