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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. current — electric
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. capital — money
  11. band — a ring
  12. spell — magic
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. current — of water
  15. band — a music group
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. board — to get on
  18. last — final
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. last — finally
  22. capital — a city
  23. spell — letters
  24. current — happening now

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