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 116 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. current — electric
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cell — a phone
  6. can — to be able to
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pop — music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pop — soda
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. can — a tin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. board — to get on
  16. current — of water
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. can — a tin
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. current — happening now
  24. cell — in biology

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