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: drill · firm · key · mine · bat · current · capital · mate

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. current — electric
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mine — for digging
  6. key — for a lock
  7. capital — a city
  8. mate — a friend
  9. capital — money
  10. firm — a company
  11. key — in music
  12. drill — army training
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. current — of water
  17. drill — the tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. drill — a practice
  20. current — happening now
  21. mate — a partner
  22. firm — decided
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mine — belonging to me

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