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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. staff — employees
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. roll — a list
  7. staff — a stick
  8. current — happening now
  9. wound — an injury
  10. staff — employees
  11. wound — an injury
  12. charge — electricity
  13. roll — a cake
  14. charge — a price
  15. current — of water
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. current — electric
  22. charge — in control
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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