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: fork · cap · current · stand · game · content · straw · staff

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. content — happy
  3. staff — employees
  4. stand — to bear
  5. staff — employees
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. game — wild animals
  10. current — electric
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. game — a match
  14. staff — a stick
  15. current — of water
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. current — happening now
  21. content — the amount
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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