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: drill · mine · plane · current · cap · press · net · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. drill — army training
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. current — happening now
  6. plane — a tool
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. net — in sport
  9. drill — a practice
  10. net — for catching
  11. current — electric
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. current — of water
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. net — after costs
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mine — for digging
  20. drill — the tool
  21. cap — a lid
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  24. cap — of ice

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