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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cell — in biology
  4. current — happening now
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mine — for digging
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. hand — help
  15. roll — a list
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. hand — in cards
  20. current — of water
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cell — a phone
  24. roll — on a roll

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