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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. current — of water
  6. snap — to click
  7. field — farmland
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rest — a break
  14. season — in sport
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. season — of the year
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. mate — to breed
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. current — happening now

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