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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bark — to shout
  3. current — of water
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pop — soda
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. press — newspapers
  11. current — happening now
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. press — to push
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. pop — music
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. racket — a loud noise

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