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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mug — to rob
  4. present — there
  5. court — of law
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. mug — a face
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. current — electric
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. land — to come down
  19. present — a gift
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. land — a country
  22. present — the time now
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

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