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 116 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: rush · trunk · mug · nail · mark · current · court · saw

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mug — to rob
  13. current — of water
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. court — of law
  23. current — happening now
  24. trunk — of a tree

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