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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bear — the animal
  3. current — of water
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. capital — a city
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. current — electric
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. row — a line
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. season — in sport
  19. capital — money
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lean — thin
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lean — to rest against

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