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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. charge — in control
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rash — hasty
  10. charge — electricity
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. current — of water
  13. mate — to breed
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mate — a friend
  19. snap — to click
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. charge — a price
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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