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 120 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: snap · wound · cap · drill · mine · current · staff · march

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. staff — a stick
  3. drill — army training
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. mine — for digging
  8. current — happening now
  9. staff — employees
  10. cap — a lid
  11. current — of water
  12. staff — employees
  13. wound — an injury
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. drill — a practice
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. cap — a hat
  18. march — music
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. current — electric
  23. cap — of ice
  24. drill — the tool

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