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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. current — happening now
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. current — electric
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stem — to come from
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. charge — a price
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cold — an illness
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. current — of water
  21. cold — not warm
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. charge — in control

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