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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. last — to go on
  5. ground — the earth
  6. current — happening now
  7. shower — to wash
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. current — of water
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. tube — the underground
  13. last — finally
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. date — the fruit
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. current — electric
  18. shower — rain
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bulb — for light
  23. last — final
  24. bulb — of a plant

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