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: current · land · hand · roll · bound · object · drill · season

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. season — in sport
  3. object — an aim
  4. roll — a list
  5. drill — a practice
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. land — ground
  8. current — electric
  9. land — a country
  10. object — to protest
  11. bound — tied together
  12. land — to come down
  13. bound — certain
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bound — obliged
  16. current — of water
  17. drill — army training
  18. hand — help
  19. current — happening now
  20. season — of the year
  21. roll — a cake
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. object — a thing

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