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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. field — a subject
  4. current — of water
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. field — for sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. content — the amount
  12. rest — what's left
  13. current — happening now
  14. pop — soda
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rest — a break
  17. pop — music
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. kid — to tease
  20. content — happy
  21. pop — to visit
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. kid — child
  24. field — farmland

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