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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — electric
  4. season — in sport
  5. current — happening now
  6. last — final
  7. bat — the animal
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. drill — a practice
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. drill — army training
  14. roll — a list
  15. last — finally
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. current — of water
  18. last — to go on
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bulb — for light
  22. season — of the year
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bat — for baseball

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