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 116 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. staff — employees
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. current — of water
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. current — happening now
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. march — the month
  12. cue — a hint
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. staff — employees
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mine — for digging

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