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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. kid — child
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. spring — a coil
  14. tear — to rip
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spring — of water
  17. kid — to tease
  18. current — electric
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spring — the season
  24. row — a line

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