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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. roll — a cake
  5. chest — of your body
  6. board — a committee
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mine — for digging
  12. current — electric
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. chest — a box
  15. bore — to tire
  16. board — to get on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. current — of water
  20. roll — a list
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mine — belonging to me

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