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: current · plane · chest · bat · spell · board · firm · game

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. spell — a short time
  5. game — a match
  6. spell — letters
  7. chest — of your body
  8. spell — magic
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. chest — a box
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. board — to get on
  17. firm — a company
  18. board — a committee
  19. current — of water
  20. chest — of your body
  21. current — electric
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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