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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rash — hasty
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ball — a dance
  6. press — to push
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. current — electric
  13. vault — a safe
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. current — happening now
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fork — in a road
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ball — a great time
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rash — a series
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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