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: spring · kid · ground · coach · current · bear · bat · cap

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. current — of water
  6. kid — child
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spring — the season
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spring — of water
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bat — the animal
  19. current — electric
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cap — a lid
  22. kid — to tease
  23. spring — a coil
  24. ground — crushed

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