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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. tube — the underground
  4. kick — in football
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pound — a weight
  9. mate — to breed
  10. last — to go on
  11. current — of water
  12. tube — a container
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. current — happening now
  16. last — finally
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mate — a partner
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. last — final
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pound — for dogs

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