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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. charge — a price
  4. game — a match
  5. wound — an injury
  6. charge — in control
  7. wound — an injury
  8. swing — music
  9. current — happening now
  10. scale — in music
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. charge — electricity
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bark — to shout
  20. current — of water
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. scale — size or range
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. game — wild animals

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