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: rest · current · ground · foot · file · track · chair · court

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. current — electric
  3. track — a path
  4. ground — the earth
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. track — to keep track
  13. current — of water
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. track — a song
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rest — a break
  21. ground — a position
  22. file — a line of people
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. current — happening now

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