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 116 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: saw · ground · current · chair · snap · court · bay · bear

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. current — electric
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bear — the animal
  7. court — of law
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bear — the animal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. snap — to click
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. court — for sport
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. court — of a king
  24. ground — a position

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