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 · cap · court · track · degree · bay · bass · bulb

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bulb — for light
  9. track — a song
  10. bass — low music
  11. cap — of ice
  12. track — to keep track
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cap — a lid
  17. current — happening now
  18. court — of law
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. current — electric
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cap — a hat
  24. track — a path

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