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 116 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: degree · squash · current · clip · field · firm · stand · mug

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. clip — to cut
  3. stand — to bear
  4. firm — a company
  5. mug — a face
  6. degree — from a university
  7. current — happening now
  8. firm — steady
  9. field — farmland
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. firm — decided
  17. field — a subject
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. squash — to crush
  22. degree — an amount
  23. field — for sport
  24. current — electric

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