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: current · cabinet · track · bark · shower · court · arm · staff

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. current — happening now
  3. staff — employees
  4. bark — to shout
  5. track — a song
  6. court — of law
  7. court — of a king
  8. track — to keep track
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. current — of water
  14. court — for sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. track — a path
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. shower — rain
  22. staff — employees
  23. shower — to wash
  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