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: net · kick · current · track · capital · wake · rush · bound

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. track — a path
  5. bound — certain
  6. wake — a trail
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. net — after costs
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. track — a song
  15. capital — money
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rush — hurry
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. net — in sport
  20. bound — obliged
  21. current — of water
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. net — for catching
  24. capital — a city

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