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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rash — a series
  3. swing — in golf
  4. current — happening now
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rash — hasty
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pit — in a race
  12. land — to come down
  13. bat — the animal
  14. land — a country
  15. current — of water
  16. fall — to drop
  17. swing — music
  18. land — ground
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. fall — the season
  24. racket — for tennis

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