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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bass — the fish
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bass — low music
  7. mate — to breed
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bore — to tire
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. current — electric
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. capital — a city
  16. bore — to drill
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. net — in sport
  22. capital — money
  23. current — happening now
  24. chip — for betting

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