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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spring — the season
  3. kid — child
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. season — of the year
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. current — of water
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — happening now
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. spell — letters
  12. season — in sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. kid — to tease
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. nail — for a hammer

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