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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. last — finally
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. root — the cause
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. current — electric
  13. last — final
  14. current — happening now
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. ground — the earth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. root — of a word
  23. last — to go on
  24. ground — a position

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