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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. current — happening now
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. season — in sport
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fine — all right
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. current — of water
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. key — in music
  20. current — electric
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fine — a penalty

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