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: key · foot · pit · rash · current · wake · lean · ground

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. current — electric
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lean — thin
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. current — of water
  11. ground — a position
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lean — to bend
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pit — in a race
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wake — a trail
  21. key — in music
  22. rash — a series
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rash — hasty

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