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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. current — of water
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. ground — crushed
  14. root — of a word
  15. ground — the earth
  16. vault — a safe
  17. scale — in music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. scale — size or range
  20. root — the cause
  21. cold — an illness
  22. root — of a plant
  23. current — electric
  24. ground — a position

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