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: season · present · capital · current · staff · racket · ball · can

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. current — of water
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. can — a tin
  7. current — electric
  8. ball — a great time
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. staff — employees
  15. can — to be able to
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. ball — a dance
  24. racket — for tennis

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