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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. ground — crushed
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. current — electric
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bound — certain
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. present — there
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bound — obliged
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. present — the time now
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. current — happening now
  18. ground — a position
  19. present — a gift
  20. hand — help
  21. bound — tied together
  22. tube — the underground
  23. hand — in cards
  24. tube — a container

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