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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — happening now
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. current — of water
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — electric
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. game — a match
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rule — government
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rule — a law

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