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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. current — electric
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. ground — a position
  6. hand — in cards
  7. current — of water
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ground — the earth
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ground — crushed
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wound — an injury
  19. hand — help
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. jam — in traffic

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