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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. capital — a city
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rest — a break
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rash — a series
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chair — a leader
  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