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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. current — electric
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — hurry
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kid — child
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. current — of water
  11. kid — to tease
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cap — a hat
  20. drill — a practice
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. current — happening now
  23. drill — army training
  24. coach — a trainer

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