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 · stick · march · straw · suit · mouse · cap · court

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cap — a lid
  3. suit — clothes
  4. march — music
  5. cap — of ice
  6. court — for sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. current — of water
  9. court — of law
  10. suit — to fit
  11. march — the month
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. court — of a king
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. current — happening now
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. suit — in cards
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. march — the month
  24. straw — a straw man

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