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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. current — electric
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. key — the most important part
  5. current — of water
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. rash — a series
  10. current — happening now
  11. last — to go on
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. last — finally
  16. rash — hasty
  17. key — in music
  18. bound — obliged
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bound — certain

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