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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — happening now
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. current — of water
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. current — electric
  13. spring — a coil
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. row — a line

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