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 · present · capital · deal · rash · chest · leaves · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. chest — a box
  5. rash — a series
  6. present — there
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. chest — of your body
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. current — happening now
  12. drill — army training
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. rash — hasty
  15. deal — to handle
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. current — electric
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. present — the time now
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. current — of water
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. chest — of your body
  24. present — a gift

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