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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. file — a document
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mine — for digging
  10. file — a tool
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. current — electric
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. capital — a city
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. file — a line of people
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. capital — money
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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