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: ground · present · current · fall · cap · ball · face · last

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. ground — a position
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. face — to point toward
  6. ground — crushed
  7. last — to go on
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. last — final
  14. face — part of the head
  15. ground — the earth
  16. present — the time now
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. present — a gift
  21. face — to confront
  22. ball — a great time
  23. present — there
  24. last — finally

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