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 124 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. can — a tin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. clip — a video
  9. swing — music
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mate — to breed
  12. can — a tin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. current — happening now
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. swing — in golf
  17. clip — for paper
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. current — electric
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. clip — to cut
  24. can — to be able to

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