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: wind · jam · field · straw · bat · hide · current · safe

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. current — of water
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. field — a subject
  6. wind — moving air
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. field — for sport
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. current — electric
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. current — happening now
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. wind — moving air
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. field — farmland
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. hide — to keep secret

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