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: bat · rest · current · board · mate · capital · court · stick

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. capital — money
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. board — to get on
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. current — electric
  8. bat — the animal
  9. current — of water
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. board — a committee
  13. capital — a city
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rest — a break
  23. current — happening now
  24. mate — a partner

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