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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chest — a box
  3. last — finally
  4. land — to come down
  5. chest — of your body
  6. last — final
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. current — of water
  10. chest — of your body
  11. last — to go on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. current — happening now
  14. land — a country
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. land — ground
  17. current — electric
  18. fan — a supporter

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