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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. current — electric
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. net — for catching
  15. spell — magic
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ball — a great time
  18. current — of water
  19. ball — a dance
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. spell — letters

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