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 · capital · hand · wake · stock · face · saw · present

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. stock — shares
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. current — happening now
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. saw — the tool
  6. current — of water
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wake — a trail
  9. present — the time now
  10. hand — in cards
  11. capital — a city
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. face — to point toward
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stock — goods
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. current — electric
  19. hand — help
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. capital — money
  23. present — there
  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