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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. charge — in control
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. charge — electricity
  8. current — electric
  9. field — farmland
  10. rest — a break
  11. charge — a price
  12. ground — the earth
  13. field — for sport
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bear — the animal
  16. current — happening now
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. field — a subject
  21. fall — the season
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ground — a position
  24. bear — the animal

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