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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pop — music
  3. current — electric
  4. capital — money
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. current — of water
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. squash — to crush
  12. face — part of the head
  13. can — a tin
  14. face — to point toward
  15. current — happening now
  16. row — to paddle
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pop — to visit
  20. face — to confront
  21. season — of the year
  22. pop — soda
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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