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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. current — of water
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. current — electric
  6. kid — child
  7. can — to be able to
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. kid — to tease
  12. spring — the season
  13. current — happening now
  14. can — a tin
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fine — all right
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mug — a face
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mug — a cup
  22. spring — a coil
  23. can — a tin
  24. chair — a leader

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