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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. current — of water
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stock — goods
  7. current — happening now
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. land — a country
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. land — ground
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. file — a line of people
  15. snap — to click
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. file — a tool
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. land — to come down
  20. current — electric
  21. mug — a face
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stock — shares
  24. file — a document

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