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 120 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: mine · saw · current · lie · bass · cabinet · hand · suit

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. suit — clothes
  3. hand — help
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. suit — to fit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. hand — in cards
  10. current — of water
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bass — low music
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mine — for digging
  18. current — electric
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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