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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bound — tied together
  3. kid — child
  4. pit — a hole
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bound — certain
  13. rock — music
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rock — a stone
  16. current — of water
  17. bound — obliged
  18. capital — a city
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. current — electric
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. drill — a practice
  24. foot — part of the body

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