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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. land — ground
  4. net — in sport
  5. current — electric
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. land — a country
  8. net — after costs
  9. chair — a leader
  10. land — to come down
  11. net — for catching
  12. bat — the animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rock — a stone
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rock — music
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rock — to move gently

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