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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. last — finally
  3. mate — a partner
  4. game — a match
  5. current — electric
  6. capital — a city
  7. last — final
  8. capital — money
  9. bound — obliged
  10. game — wild animals
  11. current — happening now
  12. bound — tied together
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. current — of water
  15. bound — certain
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. mate — to breed
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. last — to go on
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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