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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. current — electric
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. clip — for paper
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. cap — a lid
  8. clip — a video
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. file — a document
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. file — a tool
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bat — the animal
  18. current — of water
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pit — a hole
  21. current — happening now
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. clip — to cut
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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