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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ground — a position
  3. face — to confront
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ground — crushed
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. ground — the earth
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. row — a line
  14. mine — for digging
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. face — to point toward

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