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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. current — of water
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chair — a leader
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. club — for dancing
  10. fall — the season
  11. drill — the tool
  12. current — electric
  13. club — a group
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. court — for sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. court — of a king
  19. drill — army training
  20. wound — an injury
  21. court — of law
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. club — for golf

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