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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. snap — to click
  3. hand — help
  4. charge — electricity
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. current — electric
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. board — a committee
  14. rash — hasty
  15. board — to get on
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. current — happening now
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — a price
  21. current — of water
  22. rash — a series
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. roll — on a roll

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