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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. capital — a city
  3. ground — a position
  4. pop — soda
  5. key — the most important part
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fine — high quality
  8. craft — boats
  9. pop — music
  10. key — in music
  11. mate — a friend
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. current — happening now
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ground — crushed
  16. current — of water
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pop — to visit
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. mate — to breed
  24. capital — money

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