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: capital · rash · current · present · trunk · last · ball · cue

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rash — hasty
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. last — final
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. capital — money
  8. last — to go on
  9. current — happening now
  10. cue — a hint
  11. current — of water
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. present — there
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. present — a gift
  18. cue — a signal
  19. capital — a city
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rash — a series
  22. current — electric
  23. ball — a great time
  24. last — finally

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