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: safe · can · swing · current · date · lean · cap · file

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. lean — thin
  7. current — happening now
  8. swing — to play on
  9. current — of water
  10. lean — to bend
  11. file — a tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. date — the fruit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cap — a hat
  19. file — a document
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. can — a tin
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. swing — music
  24. safe — out of danger

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