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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. current — electric
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wound — an injury
  12. can — a tin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. can — a tin
  18. present — the time now
  19. ball — a dance
  20. present — a gift
  21. current — of water
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ball — a great time
  24. present — there

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