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: sharp · bound · bark · rock · current · capital · spell · stand

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. rock — music
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. spell — a short time
  10. current — electric
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bound — obliged
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bound — certain
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. spell — magic
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. spell — letters
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bound — tied together

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