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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. hand — help
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. land — a country
  6. cap — a hat
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. net — for catching
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. hand — in cards
  15. kid — to tease
  16. net — in sport
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. bark — to shout
  20. net — after costs
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. kid — child

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