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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. current — happening now
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — electric
  8. band — a music group
  9. chest — a box
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. current — of water
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. object — an aim
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. object — to protest
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. band — a ring
  23. object — a thing
  24. fan — to cool the air

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