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: tear · lash · capital · field · current · saw · content · rest

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. capital — a city
  3. rest — a break
  4. content — the amount
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. tear — to rip
  7. saw — the tool
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rest — what's left
  11. content — happy
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rest — what's left
  14. field — for sport
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. field — a subject
  17. capital — money
  18. saw — the tool
  19. field — farmland
  20. current — of water
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. current — happening now
  24. content — videos and posts

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