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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. current — electric
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. current — of water
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. clip — for paper
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pop — to visit
  9. drill — army training
  10. pop — music
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — in control
  15. clip — to cut
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. can — a tin
  18. drill — a practice
  19. current — happening now
  20. drill — the tool
  21. clip — a video
  22. charge — a price
  23. pop — soda
  24. can — to be able to

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