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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rush — hurry
  4. current — of water
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pop — soda
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. season — in sport
  9. court — for sport
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pop — to visit
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. current — happening now
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mate — a partner
  18. season — of the year
  19. pop — music
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. current — electric

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