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: game · wake · fine · stand · cap · current · spring · saw

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stand — to bear
  5. spring — of water
  6. saw — the tool
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cap — of ice
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fine — all right
  13. current — of water
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. game — a match
  17. cap — a lid
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cap — a hat

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