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: root · cap · sharp · current · game · swing · stick · spell

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. current — happening now
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cap — a lid
  5. game — a match
  6. spell — magic
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. spell — letters
  11. current — of water
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. root — of a plant
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cap — a hat
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. current — electric
  21. root — the cause
  22. swing — music
  23. cap — of ice
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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