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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. current — happening now
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spell — a short time
  8. land — a country
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spring — the season
  11. current — electric
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spring — of water
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. spell — letters
  18. spring — a coil
  19. saw — the tool
  20. land — to come down
  21. spell — magic
  22. sharp — clever
  23. land — ground
  24. bat — in an idiom

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