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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. spring — the season
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. file — a line of people
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spring — of water
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. file — a document
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. saw — the tool
  23. file — a tool
  24. scale — in music

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