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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. last — to go on
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rush — hurry
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. game — wild animals
  8. fine — high quality
  9. current — of water
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. game — a match
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fine — all right
  18. root — the cause
  19. board — a committee
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. root — of a word
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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