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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. current — happening now
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wake — a trail
  6. row — a line
  7. court — for sport
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. current — electric
  15. court — of a king
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mark — a trace
  18. swing — music
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. current — of water
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. row — to paddle
  24. court — of law

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