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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. present — the time now
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. present — there
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. present — a gift
  12. current — electric
  13. file — a document
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. file — a tool
  20. clip — a video
  21. ground — a position
  22. stem — to come from
  23. current — of water
  24. hide — animal skin

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