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: spring · drill · content · kid · cap · mug · lean · current

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. drill — a practice
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. current — happening now
  6. mug — to rob
  7. drill — the tool
  8. current — electric
  9. spring — of water
  10. content — happy
  11. cap — a hat
  12. current — of water
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mug — a face
  15. content — the amount
  16. mug — a cup
  17. lean — thin
  18. drill — army training
  19. spring — a coil
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cap — of ice
  22. kid — child
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. spring — the season

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