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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kick — in football
  4. charge — in control
  5. cold — not warm
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. capital — a city
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cold — an illness
  11. current — happening now
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. charge — a price
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. current — electric
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. capital — money
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. current — of water
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. kick — with a leg

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