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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. current — electric
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lean — thin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. current — happening now
  7. lean — to bend
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. tube — the underground
  12. field — a subject
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. tube — a container
  15. field — for sport
  16. rule — government
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. field — farmland
  20. current — of water
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. safe — out of danger

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