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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ground — the earth
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. swing — to play on
  5. ground — crushed
  6. current — happening now
  7. ground — a position
  8. rock — a stone
  9. march — the month
  10. mug — a cup
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rock — music
  13. mug — to rob
  14. hand — help
  15. mug — a face
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. current — of water
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. hand — in cards
  24. swing — 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