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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · fork · bowl · chair · cell · nail

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cell — a phone
  8. current — electric
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. current — happening now
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. cell — in biology
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cell — in a prison

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