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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. chest — a box
  4. charge — a price
  5. current — happening now
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. march — the month
  10. lean — to bend
  11. object — an aim
  12. date — the fruit
  13. lean — thin
  14. wake — a trail
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. object — to protest
  17. march — music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chest — of your body
  21. object — a thing
  22. march — the month
  23. charge — in control
  24. current — electric

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