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: date · lean · hide · current · cold · racket · face · bulb

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. date — the fruit
  4. face — to confront
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lean — thin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. current — of water
  10. cold — an illness
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. current — happening now
  19. face — to point toward
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. face — part of the head
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bulb — for light

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