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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wound — an injury
  3. current — of water
  4. capital — money
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. suit — in cards
  8. tube — a container
  9. current — happening now
  10. field — for sport
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. capital — a city
  14. suit — clothes
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. land — a country
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. wound — an injury
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. suit — to fit
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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