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 · face · bore · sharp · mine · ball

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. current — electric
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ball — a dance
  9. current — of water
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. face — to confront
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. current — happening now
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bore — to tire

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