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: cold · ruler · ground · march · jam · root · arm · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cold — an illness
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. root — of a plant
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. current — electric
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. march — the month
  15. root — of a word
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. cold — not warm
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. root — the cause
  24. current — happening now

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