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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. club — a group
  5. current — electric
  6. club — for dancing
  7. current — happening now
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. roll — a cake
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. current — of water
  13. land — a country
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stand — to bear
  18. row — a line
  19. roll — a list
  20. land — to come down
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wake — a trail
  23. land — ground
  24. club — for golf

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