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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mine — for digging
  3. field — a subject
  4. board — to get on
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. current — electric
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. roll — a list
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. roll — a cake
  12. current — of water
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. field — farmland
  19. board — a committee
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. field — for sport
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. racket — for tennis

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