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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bass — low music
  5. season — in sport
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mark — a grade
  9. capital — money
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. current — of water
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bass — the fish
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. current — electric
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — a city
  24. rest — a break

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