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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. scale — size or range
  5. board — to get on
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. scale — in music
  8. current — of water
  9. board — a committee
  10. capital — money
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mate — a partner
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rush — hurry
  19. current — happening now
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. mate — a friend
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. capital — a city
  24. mate — to breed

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